Zoe Saldana paid a tearful tribute to her “magic” fellow nominees after winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Motion Picture on Sunday (05.01.25) evening.
The 46-year-old actress scooped the accolade ahead of co-star Selena Gomez, ‘Wicked’s Ariana Grande, Felicity Jones (‘The Brutalist’), Margaret Qualley (‘The Substance’) and Isabella Rossellini (‘Conclave’) and she took the time during her acceptance speech to celebrate the group for all “showing up” and “celebrating” one another. This marked Saldana’s first Golden Globe win after three previous nominations.
“I know I don’t have much time and I have dyslexia so I tend to forget when I’m really anxious and I’m filled with adrenalin…” Taking to the stage at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, she said. The historic venue has hosted the Golden Globes ceremony since 1961.
“My heart is full of gratitude, Thank you so much to the Golden Globes for celebrating our film and honoring the women of ‘Emilia Perez’. Thank you so much. Oh my God. This is a first time for me and Im just so blessed to be sharing this moment with Selena and Karla and Jacques, and all of my fellow nominees. ‘Emilia Perez’ has already garnered critical acclaim worldwide.
“I’m in awe of you, your strength, your complexity, your undeniable talent.” Her heartfelt words resonated throughout the packed ballroom of entertainment industry elite.
“I know that it’s a competition but all I have witnessed is us showing up for each other and celebrating each other and it’s just so beautiful. The solidarity among the nominees reflected a growing trend of support and collaboration in Hollywood.
“Selena, Ariana, Margaret, Felicity, Isabella, I had lunch one time in your house, I thought I had made it already but you’re magic, you’re all magic.” Each of her fellow nominees has received multiple accolades throughout their careers.
Zoe went on to pay tribute to the movie’s director, Jacques Audiard, and the rest of the cast and crew on ‘Emilia Perez’. Audiard, known for his distinctive directing style, has previously won the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival.
“I experienced this kind of magic on the set of Emilia Perez and it’s thanks to you Jacques Audiard. thank you so much for trusting me, you are just a character I admire so much, you created rich and complex characters and you’re so French and chic and confident and kind, I love it. My Emilia Perez cast and crew, thank you I love you… Ariana, Edgar and Selena, I’m sharing this with you and Karla, no one other than you could have played Emilia Perez.” The film took over three months to shoot across multiple international locations.
As the music began to play her off, the actress quickly added to her thank you list before paying tribute to her family. The traditional musical cue has been a staple of awards shows for decades.
“My family, my mom is here, my husband and my sons, I love you, you guys are everything.” Saldana has been married to artist Marco Perego since 2013, and they share three children together.
The emotional acceptance speech marked a highlight of the evening’s ceremony, which saw record viewership numbers across multiple platforms. The Golden Globes continues to be one of Hollywood’s most watched award shows, second only to the Academy Awards.
Saldana’s win adds to her impressive collection of accolades, which includes multiple Saturn Awards and a Teen Choice Award. Her role in ‘Emilia Perez’ has been lauded by critics as one of her strongest performances to date, with many predicting additional nominations during this awards season.
The Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom, which hosts the ceremony annually, was filled with over 1,200 of Hollywood’s most influential figures, making this year’s Golden Globes one of the most star-studded events of the awards season.
