The kickoff to the Hollywood film and television awards season is on.
The 81st Golden Globes Awards is about to take place on January 7 (January 8 in the Philippines) at the Beverly Hilton, the heart of Beverly Hills in Los Angeles.
The Golden Globes is the world’s largest award show celebrating the best of film and television.
Launched by foreign journalists covering Hollywood, it recognizes the best creative talent from the perspective of the international press.
The Golden Globes has since grown into one of the industry’s premier entertainment awards recognizing the best in motion picture and television.
This year, two new awards categories have been added — Best Stand-Up Comedian on Television and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.
Meanwhile, the frontrunners for this year are Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” Native American star Lily Gladstone for best drama actress in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Bradley Cooper for best film drama actor in “Maestro,” Emma Stone for best film comedy/musical actress in “Poor Things” and Paul Giamatti for best film comedy/musical actor in “The Holdovers.”
In television series, “Succession” is expected to win drama series, as is “The Bear” in comedy series.
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This year’s Golden Globes is the first time that the major awards show will be hosted by someone with a Filipino heritage — famous Filipino-American comedian Jo Koy (Joseph Glenn Herbert).
Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne said that they are “thrilled” for the Fil-Am to “bring his infectious energy and relatable humor” in kickstarting Hollywood’s much-anticipated award season.
“We know Jo is bringing his A-game,” she said in a statement.
With several successful Netflix specials that pull inspiration from his Fil-Am upbringing, Jo Koy is one of the most sought-after comedians in the industry.
Last year, his film “Easter Sunday” became the first major studio movie with an all-Filipino cast.
Jo said that while he has stepped into a lot of stages around the world in his career, presenting the prestigious Golden Globes is going to be “extra special” for him.
“This is that moment where I get to make my Filipino family proud. Mahal kita (Google it)!” he exclaimed.
Executive-producing showrunners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner are also elated for Jo’s “genuine brand of comedy” which they said “is sure to entertain” honorees and viewers.
“We are excited to work with him to make this year’s show laugh-out-loud from beginning to end,” they said.
Filipinos can witness Jo’s historic hosting live by watching the exclusive broadcast on Lionsgate Play on PLDT Home on January 8 at 9 a.m.
Individuals with PLDT Home subscriptions can stream movies, series, and shows on the service for only P79 per month. Meanwhile, its standard retail price for non-PLDT Home customers is P129.
The platform also offers new titles weekly, has zero ads and can stream concurrently on three devices.
It likewise boasts premium and curated content including premieres, billion-dollar franchise movies and binge-worthy box sets.
Lionsgate Play is the premium streaming service from Lionsgate Entertainment, which has produced and distributed popular and critically acclaimed movies and shows throughout the years.
Among the notable films it has produced include the “John Wick” franchise, the “Saw” series, and the “Hunger Games” trilogy.
Lionsgate has also produced popular television shows for other streaming services like “Orange Is the New Black” for Netflix and “Minx” for HBO Max.
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