It is officially my favorite time of the year. A very bold statement to make, seeing as we are only in the first month of 2026. But at the beginning of January, typically the first or second Sunday, something magical happens that kicks off (what I believe is the true) award season: The Golden Globes. 

Before we begin, let us get this out of the way: The Golden Globes are better than the Oscars. 

When I speak about award shows and their significance, there is often a lot of pushback when I mention the importance, and my appreciation, of the Golden Globes. There is always a rebuttal. 

The truth is, if it’s not the Oscars (aka the Academy Awards), people don’t want it. 

This, I don’t understand. In my own personal opinion, as a lowly fourth year film student with no plans to ever attend either of the aforementioned events, the Golden Globes are simply the best. 

You don’t have to agree with me, dear Muse reader. If you truly believe the Oscars are the best award show since sliced bread, I can’t change you. But I can tell you why I believe what I believe, and why I will die on this particular hill.

Below are the three reasons why I Love The Golden Globes More Than The Oscars (And You Should Too.)

Reason #1: The Fashion

It is no surprise that one of the most entertaining aspects of watching celebrities walk down red carpets is not to look at their beaming botox-busting faces, or even to analyze their every waking homoerotic touch with their costars, it’s to see who, and what, they’re wearing. 

Each award show has its own particular dress code. For example, the Grammy Awards for the music industry has an “artistic black-tie” dress code, one of the looser sets of rules on the scandal scale. This is one of the reasons we get very personality heavy looks that are based on a central image that singers have already curated (like Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, and Chappell Roan).

It is also one of the reasons why we get the most skin shown on this carpet, and why a lot of things worn to the Grammys can’t be worn anywhere else. 

The Academy Awards for film are the opposite. I am sure this comes as a surprise to no one, but the Oscars are quite conservative. They value tradition, subtlety, and covered nipples.

The dress code that the Oscars subscribe to is the White Tie, aka the Black Tie’s cruel older brother. Like something straight out of a 1800s novel, the Oscars demand full tuxedos and waist coats, floor length ball gowns, and nothing less.

While many designers manage to dress their clients appropriately, and an occasional statement is made, I can’t help but mourn the loss of creativity and self expression on that red carpet.

But the Golden Globes? 

The Golden Globe Awards for both film and television are the bed that’s not too soft or too hard, the porridge that’s just right. The dress code is the perfect mix of sophistication and individuality. While the stakes are high, and no one is showing up in jeans and a t-shirt, there is room for originality and space for invention. 

Ladies are allowed to show their ankles, men their chests. Color is encouraged, and while stylists pick articles of clothing that allow artistry to seep through, they never sacrifice the grace and beauty of pieces that really reflect the importance of the event. 

Reason #2: Its Continued Dedication to the Acknowledgement of Good TV

Believe it or not, there is more to life than a good movie. 

There are, also, really good TV shows.

This may be my favorite reason of the three: The Golden Globes have categories dedicated to Television, whereas the Academy Awards do not. 

So much of the pressure and admiration around award shows, and roles that win those awards, are given to movies. There is a reason why there is a genre on Letterboxd called “Oscar Bait.” Studios write scripts and produce movies they think will earn them the Best Picture award, and casting agencies only look for their next Best Actor or Actress.

Through all this nonsense, people forget about the importance of television, and the true creativity and talent that lies there. 

If you know anything about film production, you would know that TV shows are arguably harder to make. There is more to write, more to build, more to shoot. And for what? To be overlooked for another mediocre Coppola film?

The Golden Globes fight this, and for that I am thankful. Instead of focusing just on motion pictures, they allow space for the bustling dedication that that TV provides. Movies have always had their time, but TV is so rarely given its flowers. 

Without the Golden Globes, I wouldn’t have witnessed my favorite win of the night for Noah Wylie, who’s performance on The Pitt was mind blowing. Owen Cooper would have never broken a record at the Golden Globes—and for his first performance too! And Rhea Seehorn would have never won her first Golden Globe in her 50’s, continuously showing Hollywood that just because women age doesn’t mean they’re any less talented. 

(Wylie won for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series – Drama (The Pitt), Cooper won for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television (Adolescence), and Seehorn won for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series – Drama (Pluribus))

Reason #3: The Award Looks Better (The Oscar Is a Man. Really?)

Okay, I admit, the last reason is a little petty. But that doesn’t make it false.

One of the things that I believe people overlook at award shows is the actual award itself. 

Yes, obviously, I’m sure these creatives are thrilled to hold any type of award at all, but isn’t it better when the award you’re holding is actually, dare I say, pretty?

There are awards that I think are thematically perfect, such as the MTV moon man (a ridiculous award for a ridiculous show). There are also awards that I think are simply visually stunning, like the Emmy Award.

But when you take into consideration the context behind the award show, and what the trophy actually looks like in the hands of a winner, the Golden Globe takes the cake.

A metallic Earth, balanced on a pillar of gold, wrapped in analog film strips. It feels perfectly unique, like it really does represent the entirety of entertainment in the world. It’s striking, like the award show itself, and like the performances it rewards. 

The Oscar award on the other hand… is a man. And nothing else. And while I understand the message they’re trying to send (actors are human too, you’re winning an award for being the person who can most accurately fake human emotions, etc.), I’m simply left wanting more. 

In conclusion, I can’t convert you to be a Golden Globes lover. All I can do is hope that the next time the first or second Sunday in January comes around, you care just a little bit more about this award show than you did last year.

To contact this writer, email Muse Newspaper at musebsa@bsfa.org.

Featured photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images.