Golden Globes 2017: Historic Firsts
Sometimes it seems as if awards shows have been around forever, but these institutions sprouted from modest affairs in the mid-20th century into the microindustries that they are today. Here are a few surprising historic firsts throughout Golden Globes history.
Song of Bernadette was the first film to win Best Picture, in 1944 (it also won the first awards for Best Director and Best Actress).
Journalists historically presented the award until 1958, when the Rat Pack walked onstage and took over the show. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. started the trend of celebrity presenters that continues to this day.
John Larroquette and Janine Turner were the first official hosts in 1995, and the first solo hosting gig didn’t happen until Ricky Gervais took the stage in 2010!
In 1989, Sigourney Weaver was the first person to win two acting awards in the same year. She won Best Supporting Actress for Working Girl and Best Actress for Gorillas in the Mist. Best Actress was also a three-way tie that year — Jodie Foster won for The Accused, and Shirley MacLaine won for Madame Sousatzka.
The Writers Guild of America Strike in 2008 forced the first cancellation of the TV broadcast. Awards were still given out, and Jon Hamm won his first Golden Globe for Mad Men. But when he received his award, he discovered that they had misspelled his name! Sorry, “John.”
Check out the video below to see some of the most memorable speeches:
The 73rd Golden Globe Awards premieres Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
