At a Glance
- Hamnet won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Drama on January 11, 2026
- The film beat Frankenstein, It Was Just an Accident, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value and Sinners
- Director Chloé Zhao quoted star Paul Mescal in her speech: the “most important thing of being an artist is learning to be vulnerable enough to allow ourselves to be seen for who we are”
**Why it matters: The victory positions the Maggie O’Farrell adaptation as a major Oscars contender and spotlights its message on vulnerability in art.
Hamnet, the 2020-novel-turned-film about the death of William Shakespeare’s only son, has claimed the top prize at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards. On Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, director Chloé Zhao accepted the Best Motion Picture Drama trophy while honoring her cast, crew and fellow nominees.
George Clooney and Don Cheadle-reuniting for a brief Ocean’s moment-handed the statuette to producer Steven Spielberg, who praised Zhao as “the one filmmaker on the face of the planet who could tell this story.”
During her acceptance speech, Zhao, 43, repeated advice Paul Mescal had shared hours earlier on the red carpet:
“Making Hamnet made him realize that the most important thing of being an artist is learning to be vulnerable enough to allow ourselves to be seen for who we are and not who we ought to be,” she told the ballroom crowd. “And to give ourselves fully to the world-even the parts of ourselves that we’re ashamed of, that we’re afraid of, that are imperfect-so the people that we speak to can also see themselves and fully accept themselves.”
Zhao also singled out Ryan Coogler, director of fellow nominee Sinners, for his “bravery and dedication.”
The Nominees It Defeated
Hamnet topped a competitive field:
- Frankenstein – Guillermo del Toro’s retelling with Oscar Isaac as Victor and Jacob Elordi as the Creature
- It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or-winning Iranian thriller
- The Secret Agent – Kleber Mendonça Filho’s 1977 Brazil-set political drama starring Wagner Moura
- Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier’s Norwegian family drama headlined by Stellan Skarsgård and Renate Reinsve
- Sinners – Ryan Coogler’s 1932 Mississippi vampire tale led by Michael B. Jordan in dual roles
Inside Hamnet’s Journey to the Win
Adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, the Focus Features drama centers on Agnes Hathaway (Jessie Buckley) and William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) as they grieve the sudden loss of 11-year-old Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe). While Agnes unravels, Shakespeare begins writing what will become Hamlet.
The film entered the night with six nominations-the most for any drama contender-including:
- Best Director – Chloé Zhao
- Best Actress – Jessie Buckley
- Best Actor – Paul Mescal
- Best Screenplay – Chloé Zhao
- Best Original Score – Hildur Guðnadóttir
Zhao, who previously won the directing Oscar for Nomadland, shot the film on location in Stratford-upon-Avon with natural light and period-accurate sets. The cast spent three weeks in rehearsal exploring 16th-century grief rituals, a process Mescal credited for his performance.
The Night’s Other Dramas
While Hamnet took the marquee prize, its rivals collected hardware elsewhere:
| Film | Additional Globe Nominations | Key Categories |
|---|---|---|
| Frankenstein | 4 | Best Actor (Isaac), Supporting Actor (Elordi), Director, Score |
| Sinners | 7 | Best Director, Best Original Song, Cinematic & Box Office Achievement |
| Sentimental Value | 8 | Best Non-English Language Film, Director, Screenplay, four acting nods |
| It Was Just an Accident | 3 | Best Non-English Language Film, Director, Screenplay |
| The Secret Agent | 2 | Best Non-English Language Film, Actor (Moura) |
According to News Of Losangeles‘s awards team, the Beverly Hilton ballroom erupted when Clooney and Cheadle opened the envelope. Spielberg hugged Zhao before she reached the stage, where she dedicated the win to “every parent who has ever lost a child and still found a way to create.”
The ceremony, broadcast on CBS and streaming on Paramount+, continues until 11 p.m. EST. The win positions Hamnet as a front-runner heading into the Academy Awards nomination voting period, which opens next week.
Key Takeaways
- Hamnet’s victory marks the first Globe for Zhao as a producer
- The film’s six total nominations tie it with Oppenheimer for the most nods in 2026
- Mescal, 29, becomes the first Irish-born actor nominated in both lead categories in the same year
- Focus Features has now won Best Motion Picture Drama three of the last four years
The 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards conclude Sunday night.
