Kate McKinnon steals the show at Golden Globes with emotional Ellen DeGeneres tribute
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Ellen DeGeneres may have received the Carol Burnett Award at the 2020 Golden Globes on Sunday night, but it was Kate McKinnon's introduction of the honor that stole the show.
The "Saturday Night Live" comic's heartfelt dedication to DeGeneres centered on the talk show host's famously brave decision to come out as gay on her successful sitcom, "Ellen," back in 1997, a moment that is largely credited for breaking down the barriers of LGBTQ representation on television and derailed DeGeneres' career for years.
"If I hadn't seen her on TV, I would have thought 'I could never be on TV. They don't let LGBT people be on TV,'" McKinnon, who is also gay, said of DeGeneres' coming out. "And more than that, I would have gone on thinking that I was an alien and that I maybe didn't have a right to be here."
Kate McKinnon gets emotional at #GoldenGlobes honoring Ellen DeGeneres....and we did too. pic.twitter.com/HZEKmN1K3I
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) January 6, 2020
"Am I gay? And I was. And I still am... and the only thing that made it less risky was seeing Ellen on TV."
-- Kate McKinnon#GoldenGlobes— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) January 6, 2020
The Emmy-winning "SNL" standout got visibly choked up while dedicating the award to DeGeneres, who appeared to be touched by the moment from the audience.
McKinnon's touching moment quickly went viral on Twitter, with viewers expressing how much they loved her tribute.
Stop what you’re doing and watch Kate McKinnon honoring Ellen by talking about queer representation in media: pic.twitter.com/pVsznys6uC
— Sam Stryker (@sbstryker) January 6, 2020
Celebrities also got in on the love, with Sarah Silverman and Billy Eichner taking to Twitter to praise McKinnon.
Chills Kate McKinnon ❤️❤️ #GoldenGlobes
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) January 6, 2020
Following McKinnon's tribute, she shared a hug with DeGeneres as she took the stage to deliver her acceptance speech.
This hug between Kate McKinnon and Ellen DeGeneres is everything. 💜 #GoldenGlobespic.twitter.com/MOczglrdxl
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) January 6, 2020
Congratulations to LGBTQ icon Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) on receiving the Carol Burnett Award at the #GoldenGlobes tonight. We’re honored to call you a member of the @HRC family. pic.twitter.com/vS4qULsNPP
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) January 6, 2020
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the presentation of the Carol Burnett Award at this year's Golden Globes? The "Saturday Night Live" standout proved that she would be more than capable to host the show next year.
So what you’re telling me is Kate McKinnon could have hosted this
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) January 6, 2020