Politics take center stage at the Golden Globes, while 'Succession' and 'Parasite' take key honors

In one of the most closely watched contests, director Sam Mendes won for the World War I epic "1917," which should give the film a boost both in the Oscar race and as it heads into wide theatrical release on Jan. 10.

The Golden Globes tilt heavily toward movies given their proximity to the Oscars, so many of the TV prizes were dispatched near the outset.

HBO's "Succession" -- which focuses on a media dynasty that bears a more-than-passing resemblance to the Murdochs -- was anointed best drama, with an additional honor for Brian Cox as the family's ruthless patriarch. The pay channel -- like CNN, a unit of WarnerMedia -- claimed two more for the miniseries "Chernobyl," making it the night's big TV winner.

Amazon's "Fleabag," meanwhile, mirrored its success at the Emmys, snagging comedy series gold and an individual award for star-producer-creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who thanked President Obama for putting the show on his list of favorites.

The TV awards were spread among multiple outlets, including the streaming services Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, and cable networks HBO, Showtime and FX. Netflix, this year's most-nominated service, settled for a single trophy for Olivia Colman, who assumed the role of Queen Elizabeth II in the historical drama "The Crown."

"Parasite," the twisty South Korean thriller from director Bong Joon-ho, was chosen as best foreign-language film. Admiration for the movie is running high enough that it's also considered a contender to make noise beyond that category throughout awards season.

The Globe selections were eclectic, as usual, which might cloud their predictive power. In a bit of an upset, for example, the small movie "Missing Link" topped an assortment of box-office blockbusters in the animation category. Laura Dern also edged a field that included Jennifer Lopez for her supporting role in the Netflix movie "Marriage Story."

Quentin Tarantino took screenplay honors for "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood," while Elton John and Bernie Taupin's song for the biopic "Rocketman" outshone a star-studded roster of contenders that included Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.

The night's emotional career-achievement tributes saw Tom Hanks tear up in collecting the Cecil B. DeMille Award, included Kate McKinnon's deeply personal introduction of Ellen DeGeneres, who received the TV award named after Carol Burnett. DeGeneres' speech included singling out what Burnett meant to her.

During his opening monologue, host Ricky Gervais urged winners not to discuss politics in his opening monologue.

Nevertheless, one of the first honorees, Russell Crowe, was unable to attend because the presenters said he was in Australia, fighting the devastating fires there. Crowe -- recognized for playing the late Fox News chief Roger Ailes in the Showtime limited series "The Loudest Voice" -- sent along a message about the importance of addressing climate change.

Later, Patricia Arquette -- a winner for Hulu's "The Act" -- used her acceptance speech to decry the march toward war with Iran, and urge people to vote in 2020 to provide a better world for their children. Michelle Williams (FX's "Fosse/Verdon") spoke about her support of choice regarding reproductive rights. And Sacha Baron Cohen jabbed at Facebook again, having previously called the company and other social-media giants "the greatest propaganda machine in history."

Ramy Youssef, a Muslim-American comic, was honored for the little-seen Hulu series "Ramy," and joked about the audience being unfamiliar with the series. "Look, I know you guys haven't seen my show," he said.

Gervais -- who is hosting the show for the fifth time, and the first since 2016 -- kicked the night off by promising that this would be his last stint, then proceeded to urge the crowd to join him and "have a laugh at your expense."

The material, however, was coolly received, including a bit in which he urged the recipients not to discuss politics, referenced actress Felicity Huffman's role in the college admissions scandal, and was bleeped twice by NBC's censors, including an off-color joke about Dame Judi Dench in "Cats."

The Golden Globes are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., a group consisting of roughly 90 international journalists. The awards gained additional prominence after moving to NBC in the 1990s, but are viewed most closely as a bellwether for the Oscars.

Last year, the group anointed "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Green Book" with its top prizes (as drama and musical or comedy, respectively), before the latter was named best picture at the Academy Awards. The four eventual acting winners also walked away with Globe trophies (the lead categories are also split between comedy and drama), as did the Oscar recipients for directing, writing, foreign language and animated film.

That said, the Globes' track record has been spotty as a predictor for the Oscars and Emmys -- the other major peer-presented honor that overlaps with it -- over the past decade.

Oscar voting continues through Tuesday, with the nominations to be unveiled on Jan. 13.

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