It’s a long overdue first for Guillermo del Toro…
The 53-year-old Mexican filmmaker picked up his first Golden Globe trophy at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards.
del Toro, who’d never been nominated before this year, took home the trophy for Best Director, for his inspired work on The Shape of Water.
Known for his work on monster movies like Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth and Blade, del Toro is considered a master of the genre.
In The Shape of Water, he continues in that same world, telling the story of a lonely janitor who forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held captive. It was originally conceived with 1960s monster movies in mind, but transformed into something quite different as the deep relationship between its characters evolved.
“Since childhood, I’ve been faithful to monsters,” said del Toro in his acceptance speech, calling them “patron saints of imperfection.” del Toro noted that he has spent 25 years handcrafting “very strange little tales” that ultimately “have saved my life.” He closed by noting, “My monsters thank you.”
Meanwhile, Disney/Pixar’s hit Coco was named Best Animated Feature. The film’s director Lee Unkrich gave a shout-out “to the incredible people of Mexico” without whom he said the film would not exist.
The win follows best animated film honors from the National Board of Review and the New York Film Critics Circle.
Coco takes place during the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos. Directed by Unkrich and Adrian Molina, Coco follows a young boy, Miguel, who wishes to be a star-studded crooner of standards, just like his grandfather, the legendary singer Ernesto de la Cruz. However, music is of the devil in Miguel’s family, and de la Cruz is largely to blame for the curse. In order to make generational events correct, Miguel finds himself on the other side of life with relatives he’s only heard stories about.
The 75th anniversary Golden Globe Awards were handed out at the Beverly Hilton..
Here’s the full list of winners:
Best Motion Picture, Drama: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Actress, Motion Picture Drama
: Frances Mcdormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Actor, Motion Picture Drama
: Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Best Motion Picture, Musical/Comedy
: Lady Bird, Iac Films; A24
Best Actress, Motion Picture – Comedy
: Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Best Direction, Film
: Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape Of Water
Best Limited TV Series/Made For TV Movie
: Big Little Lies, HBO, HBO Entertainment / David E. Kelly Productions / Pacific Standard / Blossom Films
Best TV Series, Comedy/Musical
: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Amazon, Amazon Studios
Best Actor, Limited Tv Series/Made For TV Movie:
Ewan Mcgregor, Fargo
Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
: Martin Mcdonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture
: Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Best Animated Film
: Coco, Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Best Supporting Actress TV Series/Limited Series/Tv Movie
: Laura Dern, Big Little Lies
Best Actor Motion Picture, Musical/Comedy
: James Franco, The Disaster Artist
Best Original Song, Film
: “This Is Me” — The Greatest Showman, Music By: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Lyrics By: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
Best Original Score, Film
: Alexandre Desplat, The Shape Of Water
Best Supporting Actor, TV Series/Limited Series/Made For TV Movie
: Alexander Skarsgård, Big Little Lies
Best TV Series, Drama:
The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu, MGM
Best Actor, TV Series – Drama
: Sterling K. Brown This Is Us
Best Actress TV Series, Drama
: Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Best Actress TV, Musical/Comedy:
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Best Supporting Actor, Film:
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Actress Limited Series TV:
Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies