2009 Golden Globes: Winners and Nominees

59 films were recognised at the 2009 Golden Globe Awards, across 25 categories. 16 of them took home at least one award.

The biggest winner of the year was Slumdog Millionaire, with 4 awards, ahead of John Adams with 4. The categories below run from Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy, Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy and Best Director - Motion Picture to the smaller prizes, and in every one the winner is listed first, followed by the other nominees.

Each title links to the film's full award history at all four awards, and the links at the bottom step to the previous and next ceremony.

Last updated August 12, 2026

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy

30 Rock(2006)
Alec Baldwin
Winner
Californication(2007)
David Duchovny
Entourage(2004)
Monk(2002)
The Office(2001)
The Office(2005)
Steve Carell

Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy

30 Rock(2006)
Winner
Californication(2007)
Entourage(2004)
The Office(2001)
The Office(2005)
Office, The
Weeds(2005)

Best Director - Motion Picture

Slumdog Millionaire(2008)
Danny Boyle
Winner
Frost/Nixon(2008)
Ron Howard
Revolutionary Road(2008)
Sam Mendes
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button(2008)
David Fincher
The Reader(2008)

Best Motion Picture - Drama

Slumdog Millionaire(2008)
Winner
Frost/Nixon(2008)
Revolutionary Road(2008)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button(2008)
The Reader(2008)

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

Slumdog Millionaire(2008)
A. R. Rahman
Winner
Changeling(2008)
Clint Eastwood
Defiance(2008)
James Newton Howard
Frost/Nixon(2008)
Hans Zimmer
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button(2008)
Alexandre Desplat

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

The Wrestler(2008)
Winner
Bolt(2008)
I Thought I Lost You
Cadillac Records(2008)
Once In A Lifetime
Gran Torino(2008)
WALL·E(2008)
Down To Earth

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television

John Adams(2008)
Paul Giamatti
Winner
24(1964)
Bernard and Doris(2007)
Ralph Fiennes
Recount(2008)
Kevin Spacey
Recount(2008)
Tom Wilkinson

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

The Wrestler(2008)
Mickey Rourke
Winner
Frost/Nixon(2008)
Frank Langella
Milk(2008)
Sean Penn
Revolutionary Road(2008)
Leonardo DiCaprio
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button(2008)
Brad Pitt

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

In Bruges(2008)
Colin Farrell
Winner
In Bruges(2008)
Brendan Gleeson
Last Chance Harvey(2008)
Dustin Hoffman
Pineapple Express(2008)
James Franco
Vicky Cristina Barcelona(2008)
Javier Bardem

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

John Adams(2008)
Tom Wilkinson
Winner
Entourage(2004)
How I Met Your Mother(2005)
Neil Patrick Harris
In Treatment(2008)
Blair Underwood
Recount(2008)
Denis Leary

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

The Dark Knight(2008)
Winner
Doubt(2008)
Philip Seymour Hoffman
The Duchess(2008)
Tropic Thunder(2008)
Tom Cruise
Tropic Thunder(2008)
Robert Downey Jr.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama

In Treatment(2008)
Gabriel Byrne
Winner
Dexter(2006)
Michael C. Hall
House(2004)
Hugh Laurie
Mad Men(2007)
Jon Hamm
The Tudors(2007)
Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television

John Adams(2008)
Laura Linney
Winner
An American Crime(2007)
Catherine Keener
Bernard and Doris(2007)
Susan Sarandon
Coco Chanel(2008)
Shirley MacLaine
Cranford(2007)
Judi Dench

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Revolutionary Road(2008)
Kate Winslet
Winner
Changeling(2008)
Angelina Jolie
Doubt(2008)
Meryl Streep
I've Loved You So Long(2008)
Kristin Scott Thomas
Rachel Getting Married(2008)
Anne Hathaway

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Happy-Go-Lucky(2008)
Sally Hawkins
Winner
Burn After Reading(2008)
Frances McDormand
Last Chance Harvey(2008)
Emma Thompson
Mamma Mia!(2008)
Meryl Streep
Vicky Cristina Barcelona(2008)
Rebecca Hall

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Recount(2008)
Laura Dern
Winner
Brothers and Sisters(2006)
Rachel Griffiths
Cranford(2007)
Eileen Atkins
In Treatment(2008)
Melissa George
In Treatment(2008)
Dianne Wiest

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

The Reader(2008)
Winner
Doubt(2008)
Amy Adams
Doubt(2008)
Viola Davis
The Wrestler(2008)
Marisa Tomei
Vicky Cristina Barcelona(2008)
Penélope Cruz

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama

True Blood(2008)
Anna Paquin
Winner
Brothers and Sisters(2006)
Sally Field
Law & Order(1990)
Mad Men(2007)
January Jones
The Closer(2005)
Kyra Sedgwick

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy

30 Rock(2006)
Tina Fey
Winner
Samantha Who?(2007)
Christina Applegate
The Starter Wife(2007)
Debra Messing
Ugly Betty(2006)
America Ferrera
Weeds(2005)
Mary-Louise Parker

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

Slumdog Millionaire(2008)
Simon Beaufoy
Winner
Doubt(2008)
John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon(2008)
Peter Morgan
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button(2008)
Eric Roth
The Reader(2008)

Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television

John Adams(2008)
Winner
A Raisin in the Sun(2008)
A Raisin In The Sun
Bernard and Doris(2007)
Bernard And Doris
Cranford(2007)
Recount(2008)

Best Television Series - Drama

Mad Men(2007)
Winner
Dexter(2006)
House(2004)
In Treatment(2008)
True Blood(2008)

Best Motion Picture - Animated

WALL·E(2008)
Wall-E
Winner
Bolt(2008)
Kung Fu Panda(2008)

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