The 2026 Golden Globes ended the night with a bang as the Focus Features pic Hamnet took home the top prize for Best Film – Drama. In his opening remarks, Steven Spielberg gave a shout out to one of the film producers, Sam Mendes, who sent the novel to Spielberg and after reading, the iconic figure knew of only one person who could tell this story.
“I loved the book and thought there was only filmmaker on the face of the planet that could tell this story and that was Chloe Zhao,” Spielberg said.
It was the second win of the night for the film after Jessie Buckley took home the Globe for best female actor in a drama. The other films nominated in the category included Sinners, Sentimental Value, It Was Just An Accident and The Secret Agent.
In her speech Zhao talked about the those that had lost loved ones during the production and how the cast and crew were still thinking of them and then went on to talk about what Hamnet star Paul Mescal told her that morning.
“Paul said something to me this morning, he said that making Hamnet made him realize that the most important thing about making the film was learning to be vulnerable enough to allow ourselves to be seen for who we are, for who we ought to be and to give ourselves fully to the world even the parts of ourselves we are shamed of, that we are afraid of, that are imperfect so that the people that we speak to they can fully accept themselves for who they are,” she said.
She would go on to say how honored she was to be a room of people doing that, calling out fellow nominee Ryan Coogler and finished by saying that the work they have done is so important for this industry.
“I see so many of you have have become so strong and tender at the same time and shared so much of yourselves to the world,” Zhao said. “So salute your bravery and your dedication lets keep seeing each other and let each other be seen.”
