By Kamilah Snyder

This year’s Golden Globes delivered emotional, political, and personal acceptance speeches–but which ones worked?

Ultimately, a successful speech relies less on celebrity status and more on clarity, authenticity, and legitimate voice. What this looks like however, varies widely amongst actors and scenarios. 

Ranging from veteran actors and actresses to up and coming stars, this year’s awards stages housed speeches that have lingered in the minds of audiences. 

A 2025-2026 breakout actress, Teyana Taylor wooed crowds with her memorable acceptance speech for best supporting actress in her most recent work, “One Battle After Another.” For Taylor, authenticity came from raw emotion, and legitimacy and clarity from her comments on black and female power. 

She dedicated her speech to Black women and youth, telling viewers that their depth is “not too much.” Taylor’s stage time mirrored the exact qualities of a perfect speech, blending emotion with political voice, something that transformed her speech from satisfactory to exceptionally relevant and impactful. 

Later on in the evening, Timothee Chalamet took the stage for Best Actor in motion picture or musical comedy for his committed role in “Marty Supreme.” Known for his bold statement declaring his “pursuit of greatness” at the 2025 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, his speech at the Golden Globes upheld his devotion to becoming an established actor. 

The beauty of Chalamet’s speeches is that he embraces the uncomfortable. Rather than shy away, he embraced his 0-4 record in previous nominations, emphasizing the importance of gratitude and humility in a subjective business. 

Even before the event, big names like Sarah Jessia Parker were recognized, specifically with the Carol Burnett Award during “The Golden Eve” celebration before the event. Parker took a heavily personal route, taking the time to reflect on her 52-year career, her husband and children, and her parents’ love story. 

A tribute to both her family and her ten-season romantic drama series, Parker’s speech applied the three principles of a good speech and beyond. Aside from just mere “shoutouts” to film and television staff, Parker went above and beyond in creating a full circle moment between her career and home life. 

So what do all of these star winners have in common, if not their celebrity status, age, or film genre? They all excel at connecting with the audience at levels that exceed a regular speech. 

When it comes down to it, the thing that distinguishes these speeches is nothing more than intention. Each speaker took the opportunity as more than just a personal victory, making it a moment to communicate something grander than themselves. 

These speeches and many like them succeeded because they treated the audience as participants in a sacred experience, not just spectators at an award show. In doing so, they transformed brief comments on a stage into statements that resonated with viewers globally.

In its entirety, the 83rd Golden Globes show was nothing short of what could be considered a beautiful blending of moments, ideas, and people.