Stephen Graham clutched his first Golden Globe and still found room for surprise when he spotted Queen Latifah in the Beverly Hilton crowd on January 11, 2026.
The 52-year-old British actor won Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television for his searing turn as Eddie Miller in Netflix’s Adolescence. As he stepped to the microphone, Leonardo DiCaprio-his old Gangs of New York castmate-wrapped him in a congratulatory hug that set the tone for an emotional speech.
At a Glance
- Graham triumphed over Jacob Elordi, Paul Giamatti, Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law and Matthew Rhys
- The five-part series Adolescence follows a father whose 13-year-old son is arrested for murder
- The win caps a sweep: Graham already claimed the 2025 Emmy and the Jan. 4 Critics Choice Award for the same role
- Why it matters: The victory positions Adolescence as a limited-series juggernaut heading into the rest of awards season
A Speech That Ended With “One Love”
Graham opened with praise for his fellow nominees, calling the category lineup “outstanding performances all across the board.” He then pivoted to the collaborators and family who anchored him during the grueling shoot.
“First of all, I’d just like to say a massive congratulations to all of the nominees in the category. Outstanding performances all across the board, each and every one of you, it’s an honor to share this space with you,” he told the ballroom audience.
The actor singled out his wife, Anna Walters-an Adolescence executive producer who also appears in one episode-calling her “one of the most best producers ever and a woman I’m very, very lucky to be married to.”
“I’ve said it before, but you saved my life. You saved my life,” Graham said directly to Walters. “And to my two beautiful children, Grace and Alfie, I love you to the moon and back forever. My dad, my pops, my hero, and I would just like to dedicate this particular award to my mom and all my friends and family, you all know exactly who you are. Without you, none of this is possible.”
As the orchestra began to swell, Graham scanned the room and spotted another familiar face. “… Queen Latifah-wow, can’t believe it!” he exclaimed, prompting laughter and applause. He closed with a nod to Bob Marley: “Goodnight, God bless, and in the words of Bob Marley, ‘One love!'”
The Role That Made the Season
In Adolescence, Graham’s Eddie Miller is a working-class father blindsided when police arrest his quiet 13-year-old son, Jamie (Owen Cooper), for the murder of a female classmate. The five-episode limited series, filmed in long continuous takes, tracks the immediate aftermath inside a British police station and the ripple effects on the family.
Netflix released the show in late 2025 to immediate acclaim. The streamer campaigned heavily for the series, which earned five total Globe nominations including Best Limited Series and acting nods for Cooper and costar Christine Tremarco.
Graham, also a co-creator of the project, prepared for the role by shadowing social workers and attending real police interviews. The result is a performance that toggles between stunned silence and raw anguish as Eddie confronts the possibility that his son committed an unthinkable crime.
A Category Stacked With Star Power
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association packed the limited-series race with A-list contenders:
| Nominee | Project | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob Elordi | The Narrow Road to the Deep North | Dorrigo Evans, a WWII army surgeon |
| Paul Giamatti | Black Mirror: Eulogy | Phillip, revisiting memories of his ex |
| Charlie Hunnam | Monster: The Ed Gein Story | Serial killer Ed Gein |
| Jude Law | Black Rabbit | Jake Friedken, NYC restaurateur |
| Matthew Rhys | The Beast in Me | Nile Jarvis, former murder suspect |
Elordi arrived as a double nominee Sunday night; in addition to his limited-series recognition, he scored a supporting-actor bid for Frankenstein. Giamatti already owns two Globes, earned for John Adams (2009) and Barney’s Version (2011). Hunnam’s transformation into the real-life killer who inspired Psycho and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre earned raves, while Law and Rhys rounded out the ballot with psychologically twisty roles.
The Road From Liverpool to the Beverly Hilton
Graham grew up in Liverpool and began acting as a teenager. Early credits include Snatch and Gangs of New York, the latter pairing him with DiCaprio more than two decades ago. The two men reunited backstage Sunday night, trading stories while photographers captured the embrace that quickly went viral on social media.
The actor’s recent hot streak started with the 2020 British series The Virtues, but Adolescence vaulted him into the global awards spotlight. He collected his first Emmy in September 2025, then dominated the January 4 Critics Choice Awards. Industry analysts now predict a SAG Award nomination will follow, solidifying the performance as the limited-series performance to beat.
Key Takeaways
- Stephen Graham’s heartfelt speech underlined how personal the project is: his wife produces, his children motivated him, and he dedicated the win to his late mother.
- Adolescence emerged from a crowded field, fending off high-profile contenders from Prime Video, Netflix’s own Black Mirror, and traditional film studios expanding into limited series.
- With the Globe now in hand, Graham has momentum heading into the SAG Awards and BAFTAs, making him the front-runner for the television trifecta.
- The ceremony itself, airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+, drew additional buzz for surprise celebrity sightings-Queen Latifah’s cameo among them-proving the Golden Globes still deliver water-cooler moments even in an era of fragmented viewing.
According to News Of Losangeles, Graham exited the stage clutching his trophy and immediately embraced Walters, sealing a night the couple is unlikely to forget.
