Golden Globes: ‘Oppenheimer’ Wins Best Drama Film

Oppenheimer won the award for best motion picture, drama, at the Golden Globes 2024 on Sunday. The film also took home the awards for director for Christopher Nolan, lead actor in a drama for Cillian Murphy, supporting actor in a drama for Robert Downey Jr., and original score.

“This was just an incredible experience making this film,” said producer Emma Thomas  in her acceptance speech. “What we do is collaboration, and that’s amazing and exciting and I find that completely magical.”

Thomas, who has been married to Nolan since 1997, made sure to give her husband a special shout-out. “I’m so pleased that Chris has been acknowledged,” she said. “Chris brings out the best in people by being the best himself.”

The film was competing against Anatomy of a Fall, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Past Lives, and The Zone of Interest in the night’s top category.

Oppenheimer traces J. Robert Oppenheimer’s (Cillian Murphy) work to create the first atomic bomb during World War II. Also starring Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and Matt Damon, the 180-minute epic was a box office smash when it opened over the summer, earning roughly $955 million worldwide to become the third-highest-grossing film of 2023. It came into the night with eight Globes nominations, the second most of any film (behind Barbie). Critically acclaimed, Oppenheimer was also shortlisted in three Oscar categories (makeup and hairstyling, original score, and sound.

Two other Nolan films—Inception and Dunkirk—have been nominated in this category before, but Oppenheimer is the first of his to ever win.

The makeup of the Globes voting body has notably changed over the past two years, but there’s still virtually no overlap with the Academy, and the group’s choice in this category often has not lined up with the eventual best-picture Oscar winner. Recent winners include The Fabelmans, The Power of the Dog, Nomadland, and 1917.

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