Michelle Williams won Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television at the 2026 Golden Globes for her role in Dying for Sex, but she was not present to accept the award.
Presenters Melissa McCarthy and Kathryn Hahn accepted the trophy on her behalf during the ceremony on January 11 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. McCarthy told the audience, “Michelle Williams could not be here this evening. We accept this award on her behalf,” before Hahn joked, “I’m Michelle Williams.”
Williams, 45, is currently starring in a limited run of the play Anna Christie in Brooklyn through February 1. She plays the title role in the Eugene O’Neill drama alongside Tom Sturridge and Brian d’Arcy James.
The Winning Role
Williams leads the FX on Hulu miniseries Dying for Sex as Molly Kochan, a woman diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer who leaves her husband, Steve (played by Jay Duplass), to explore her sexuality. The cast also includes Jenny Slate, Rob Delaney, Kelvin Yu, David Rasche, Esco Jouléy, and Sissy Spacek.
The series earned two nominations at the Golden Globes, including Best Television Limited Series, Anthology or Motion Picture Made for Television.
The Competition
Williams beat out five other nominees in her category:
- Claire Danes for The Beast in Me
- Rashida Jones for Black Mirror
- Amanda Seyfried for Long Bright River
- Sarah Snook for All Her Fault
- Robin Wright for The Girlfriend
Each actress starred in a limited series that explored complex, emotionally charged stories.
Claire Danes in The Beast in Me
Danes plays Aggie Wiggs, a grieving mother and author who becomes suspicious of her new billionaire neighbor, Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys), in Netflix’s The Beast in Me. The series is also nominated for Best Television Limited Series and earned Rhys a nomination for Best Actor.
Danes told News Of Losangeles in November that she was drawn to Aggie’s layered personality: “I loved this character who was just kind of a wild amalgam of qualities that I hadn’t quite played before. She’s really quite introverted and controlled and contained, but also has this animalistic energy.”
This marks Danes’ fifth Golden Globe nomination. She has previously won four Globes for My So-Called Life, Temple Grandin, and Homeland.
Rashida Jones in Black Mirror
Jones received her first Golden Globe nomination for her role as Amanda, a schoolteacher who turns to a high-tech brain system after a health scare, in Black Mirror‘s season 7 episode “Common People.” The episode also stars Chris O’Dowd and Tracee Ellis Ross.
“I’m so grateful to be part of the universe in this way and this part is by far the most acting I’ve ever done,” Jones told News Of Losangeles in April 2025. “I had to play a lot of notes in this show and in quick succession.”
Amanda Seyfried in Long Bright River
Seyfried stars as Mickey, a police officer working in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood during the opioid crisis, in Long Bright River. The series, adapted from Liz Moore’s novel, earned Seyfried her second Globe nomination.
“I’ve always wanted to play a cop,” Seyfried previously told News Of Losangeles. “It’s like a childhood dream to play somebody that I just was always in awe of.”
She previously won a Golden Globe in 2023 for The Dropout.
Sarah Snook in All Her Fault
Snook plays Marissa Irving, a mother whose 5-year-old son disappears after a playdate, in All Her Fault. The Peacock thriller also stars Elle Fanning and Sophia Lillis.
The series is nominated for Best Limited Series, and Snook has won two previous Golden Globes for her role in HBO’s Succession.
Robin Wright in The Girlfriend
Wright portrays Laura Sanderson, an overprotective mother who spirals when her son brings home a mysterious girlfriend, in Amazon Prime’s The Girlfriend. The series, adapted from Michelle Frances’ novel, is also nominated for Best Limited Series.
Awards and Broadcast
The 2026 Golden Globes aired live on January 11 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ in the U.S. Dying for Sex was one of several limited series competing for top honors, alongside All Her Fault, The Beast in Me, Black Mirror, and The Girlfriend.
Williams’ win adds to her already impressive list of accolades, including five Oscar nominations and multiple critical honors throughout her career.
