On Jan 7, the entertainment industry’s award season was officially kicked off with the Golden Globes—one of the prestigious annual awards shows celebrating the achievements of film, television, actors, and comedians alike. Among the awards presented, the Best Actor ones are some of the most coveted.
Gladstone, who uses she/they pronouns, won Best Female Actor in a Drama Motion Picture, making her the first ever person of Indigenous descent to win this award. This award encapsulated a significant recognition of their skill and contribution to the film industry, especially since awards like the Golden Globes play a vital role in acknowledging and celebrating the achievements of actors and artists in the entertainment industry.
Considering the controversial history of the Golden Globes—from accusations of financial impropriety and influence-peddling to criticism for its small and non-diverse membership, leading to accusations of bias and exclusion, this win was uniquely historic. Due to a bombshell report by the LA Times in 2021 accusing the organization behind the Golden Globes to be severely lacking in diversity, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association officially disbanded in June of 2023. This made this year’s Golden Globes the first Golden Globes to be officially for-profit, since it is now under Dick Clark Productions.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jay Penske, CEO, chairman and founder of Penske Media and CEO of DCP, said that, “As stewards of the Golden Globe Awards, our mission is to continue creating the most dynamic awards ceremony on live television viewed across the world.”
Bridget Oberman, a senior interested in pursuing film as a career in the future speaks on Lily Gladstone’s work.
“As an aspiring film student, Lily Gladstone’s work has served as a beacon of inspiration,” said Oberman. “Her dedication to craft and the impact she’s had on storytelling encourages me to pursue my own aspirations in the world of cinema.”
Particularly important is the fact that Killers of the Flower Moon is centered on a true story concerning Native Americans. Based on a book with the same name, it takes a look at the Osage murders that happened during the 1910s to the 1930s.
Paraeducator Mr. Troy Gardner who is a big fan of the Oscars and all multimedia speaks on this.
“When a movie can bring attention to actual history it is a good thing. Communities don’t focus on diversity and inclusive storytelling because they just don’t know the stories,” said Gardner. “When these stories can be brought to the forefront, they can spark discussion and communication amongst all groups of people.”
Gladstone accepted their award with a speech starting off in the Native language Blackfeet. She said, “Hello my friends, my name is Eagle Woman, I’m from the Blackfeet Nation,” according to a translation her representative provided to CBS News. When switching back to English, Gladstone said that their win was “historic” and dedicated it to, “every little rez kid, every little urban kid, every little Native kid who has a dream, who is seeing themselves represented and our stories told by ourselves in our own words with tremendous allies and tremendous trust with and from each other.”
On Jan 23, Gladstone became the first Native person to ever get an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. During almost every awards season, awards shows have always gotten criticism about the lack of diversity—Gladstone’s nominations and wins may be changing the tide of storytelling in Hollywood.
“The world is filled with so many stories that go unheard because the industry is looking for what will sell,” Gardner said. “When the industry realizes that people will pay for a great story, not just action and explosions, they will find that these diverse voices will be an asset to them.”
