The Best Memes & Viral Moments From The 2026 Golden Globes Awards

Awards season has begun, with the 2026 Golden Globe Awards kicking it all off on Jan. 11 at Los Angeles’ famed Beverly Hilton ballroom. Within minutes, the show delivered on viral moments.

Comedian Nikki Glaser hosted the ceremony for the second year in a row, providing some barbs aimed at some of the biggest A-list stars in attendance, including Ariana Grande, Timothée Chalamet, and Michael B. Jordan. However, she wasn’t above apologizing when she went a little too far.

Nikki Apologizes To Leo DiCaprio

During her monologue, Glaser paid tribute to nominee Leonardo DiCaprio by listing off some of his biggest career accomplishments. “The most impressive thing is that you’ve been able to accomplish all of this before your girlfriend turned 30,” she said as the punchline.

However, she quickly apologized for the “cheap” joke, before blaming DiCaprio himself because the public knows nothing else about him. “The most in-depth interview you’ve given was for Teen Beat magazine in 1991,” she joked. “Is your favorite food still ‘pasta, pasta, and more pasta?’”

Teyana Taylor’s Tearful Win

The first Globe of the night went to Teyana Taylor, who won Best Supporting Actress for One Battle After Another and jumped out of her seat. She gave what could be the best speech of the night, showing off the “party in the back” of her dress, before getting teary-eyed over her children and warning, “Y’all better be off your damn phones and watching me right now.”

The Podcast Category

Even Glaser knows how ridiculous the Globes’ new Best Podcast category is. Before Snoop Dogg presented the award, she spoofed the category with a parody of Nicole Kidman’s infamous AMC ad, where Glaser showed up at an AMC closed for renovations, forcing her to listen to podcasts in her car. “Discourse feels good in a place like this,” she quipped.

Amy Poehler became the category’s first-ever winner for her podcast, Good Hang, and made some jokes in her speech. Acknowledging that she’s new to the podcast world, she shared her “great respect” for the format and her fellow nominees. “I am big fans of all of you except NPR — just a bunch of celebs phoning it in. Try harder,” she joked.

Miley Cyrus & Selena Gomez’s Reunion

Hannah Montana and Mikayla have made up. During a commercial break, Miley Cyrus found fellow Disney Channel alum and Hannah Montana guest star Selena Gomez in the audience and posed for a reunion photo, before sitting down to catch up (oh, to be a fly on the wall). The two both lost their respective nominations, but at least they had each other.

KPop Demon Hunters’ Historic Win

“Golden” from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters won Best Original Song, becoming the first K-pop song to win the category. Singer and songwriter EJAE gave a teary-eyed speech, recalling how rejection pushed her forward. “I worked tirelessly for 10 years to fulfill one dream: to become a K-pop idol. And I was rejected,” she said. “Now I'm here as a singer and a songwriter.”

Macaulay Culkin Returns To The Globes

Macaulay Culkin returned to the Golden Globes for the first time in over three decades, introduced by Fran Drescher as someone who “famously didn’t have a nanny.” He was visibly touched by the crowd’s reception, stating, “It's been 35 years since I've been to the Globes. Thanks for welcoming me back. That's really nice of you guys.”

Melissa & Kathryn Give Men Some Props

Before presenting Best Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series, Kathryn Hahn told co-presenter Melissa McCarthy that, for the first time in history, men would also be recognized in their own category, before joking about how far men have come trailing behind women in the acting world.

“Since men first started acting in 2015, they have graced our screens with power and beauty,” Hahn joked, with McCarthy adding, “Men can play so many roles. Husband! Ex-husband! Secretary! And everybody's favorite: nosy neighbor.”

Connor & Hudson’s First Globes

At their first Golden Globes, Heated Rivalry stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams presented Best Actress in a Drama Series — which Storrie was a tad nervous about. “Just take a deep breath and picture everyone in the audience... you know,” Williams told his hyperventilating co-star, nodding to the copious nudity in their breakout show. “I don’t think that really works, considering everyone has seen us... you know,” he joked back.

The Excellent Music Playlist

The MVP of the 2026 Golden Globes might be whoever is in charge of music. As many viewers have noted on social media, the pre- and post-commercial playlists have been full of bangers, from Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” to Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers.”

Sure, many viewers have also noticed that some songs haven’t made sense, like when Rihanna’s “Pon de Replay” played as The Secret Agent won Best Foreign Language Film or The Studio crew took the stage to Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head.” But the choices are appreciated nonetheless.

Nikki’s Rob Reiner Tribute

Glaser ended the show by paying a subtle tribute to late filmmaker Rob Reiner. While saying her good nights, she wore a hat bearing the logo of his directorial debut, 1984’s Spinal Tap, in which he also starred as filmmaker Marty Di Bergi. It was the only nod to Reiner during the ceremony, which is partially due to the absence of an “In Memoriam” segment.