While awards shows sometimes tend to be a parade of the same faces winning the same awards and giving the same tearful speeches, the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards proved to be quite the opposite. On Sunday, Jan. 11, a whopping 12 new faces graced the stage at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to accept the trophy for the very first time.
Some — like Jane the Virgin’s Gina Rodriguez and The Normal Heart’s Matt Bomer — were Cinderella stories, attending the Globes for the first time and scoring a win. While other established stars, like House of Cards’ Kevin Spacey, had received numerous nominations (a whopping seven in Spacey’s case) only to land their first wins during last night’s show.
Here were the 12 first-time winners at the 2015 Golden Globe Awards:
1. Eddie Redmayne
The British Theory of Everything actor, 33, brought home his Globe for his portrayal of legendary physicist Stephen Hawking. It was his first win, though in 2013 his film Les Miserables took home the Best Motion Picture Comedy/Musical title.
2. Michael Keaton
If only Riggan could see him now! The 63-year-old Birdman star won for Best Performance in a Comedy/Musical for playing the washed-up former action star Riggan. The Hollywood stalwart, enjoying a critical comeback, had previously been nominated in 2003 for his role in Live From Baghdad.
It only took her 12 years to finally get the credit! Arquette, 46, spent more than a decade filming Richard Linklater’s childhood drama Boyhood, and it paid off when she scored the Best Performance in a Supporting Role trophy. The veteran actress — who hails from a family of thespians — had previously been nominated three times for her role in Medium.
4. J.K. Simmons
The Whiplash star, 60, pulled out an upset, besting critically praised performances from Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher), Edward Norton (Birdman), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood), and Robert Duvall (The Judge) to win the Best Performance in a Supporting Role honor.
5. Ruth Wilson
An Affair to Remember! The British star, 32, landed her first win for her role in the sexy new Showtime series The Affair. Beating out Claire Danes, Viola Davis, Julianna Margulies, and Robin Wright for Best Performance in a Television Series Drama is no easy feat! She had previously been nominated for her role in Jane Eyre in 2008.
6. Kevin Spacey
F—king finally! After seven nominations, the House of Cards star, 55, happily accepted the Globe, exclaiming, “I can’t f—king believe I won!”
7. Gina Rodriguez
Proving Cinderella can wear black too, Rodriguez, 30, who had previously expressed her shock at simply being nominated for her lead role in The CW’s Jane the Virgin, pulled out a win for Best Performance in a Television Series Comedy/Musical. She beat Lena Dunham, Edie Falco, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Taylor Schilling and stole our hearts with her emotional speech.
8. Jeffrey Tambor
Goodbye Netflix, hello Amazon Prime! Tambor, 70, and company had a big night when the show Transparent landed two major wins. First-time nominee and winner Tambor (previously beloved for his work on Arrested Development) was all smiles as he dedicated his win to the transgender community.
How Honorable! Gyllenhaal, 37, may have had a long and critically acclaimed career, but her win for The Honorable Woman marked the first Globe she’s ever taken home after two previous nominations. Maybe she can share it with her fellow nominee and brother Jake Gyllenhaal, who still hasn’t gotten his own trophy.
Speechless or watching his words? Billy Bob Thornton, 59, snagged a win for his role in FX’s Fargo, but kept his speech brief to avoid any controversy. There was nothing controversial about him finally landing a win after three previous nominations.
11. Joanne Froggatt
Downton darling! The British actress, 34, was in shock when she took home her first win after four years on the hit period drama Downton Abbey without a single nomination. Her touching speech acknowledged victims of rape after her character Anna Bates’ painful season 4 story line.
12. Matt Bomer
The Normal Heart star, 37, was simply happy to be at the Golden Globes for the first time. Little did he know that he’d be besting the likes of Alan Cumming, Colin Hanks, Bill Murray, and Jon Voight to score his first win.
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