Golden Globes TV audience falls again as awards shows struggle to regain viewers

LOS ANGELES,

Television audiences for the Golden Globe Awards declined again this year, organisers have said, underlining the continuing struggle of major Hollywood award ceremonies to attract viewers.

About 8.7 million people in the United States watched Sunday night’s ceremony, according to figures released by Nielsen. That is down from 9.3 million viewers last year and roughly half the audience the event drew before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Golden Globes, once marketed as Hollywood’s most glamorous and informal awards night, have faced a turbulent few years. Allegations of racism and ethical misconduct led to the ceremony being pulled from television entirely in 2022. The awards later returned under new ownership and were relaunched by broadcaster CBS in 2024, following reforms aimed at restoring credibility.

Despite the smaller television audience, organisers said the event generated strong engagement online. The ceremony was hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser, whose opening monologue was viewed nearly 14 million times across social media platforms within 36 hours. Her sharp-edged humour included political jokes and topical references that quickly spread online.

The evening was dominated by Paul Thomas Anderson’s film One Battle After Another, which secured multiple major awards. Other notable winners included Hamnet, which won best drama film, while Jessie Buckley took home a best actress award for her performance in the adaptation of the Shakespeare-inspired story.

Timothée Chalamet and Brazilian actor Wagner Moura also boosted their awards season prospects with wins for Marty Supreme and The Secret Agent respectively.

Industry observers say the Golden Globes continue to play an important role as an early indicator in the awards season, even as traditional broadcast audiences shrink. Attention now turns to the Academy Awards, which will be held in Hollywood on 15 March, amid ongoing debate over how award shows can remain relevant in an era of streaming and social media.