The Golden Globes opened with Jo Koy’s scathing monologue, Robert Downey Jr. and Da’Vine Joy Randolph won

The renewed Golden Globe Awards started with the participation of Taylor Swift, Robert Downey Jr. and Da’Vine Joy Randolph won, resulting in comedian Joy Koy’s scathing monologue.

Koy performed at the Beverly Hilton International Ballroom in Beverly Hills, California, to open the 81st Golden Globes. The Filipino-American stand-up tackles some expected topics: Ozempic, Meryl Streep’s award-winning prowess and the long-running “Oppenheimer.” (“I needed another hour.”)

Koy, who was chosen as the presenter after a prank failed and bigger names were passed over, also noted how quickly he got to work.

[ Golden Globes fashion: Taylor Swift stuns in shimmery green and Margot Robbie goes full Barbie  ]

“Hey, I got the job 10 days ago. Do you want a perfect monologue?” said Koy. “I wrote some of these, and these are the people you laugh at.”

The first award of the night was given to Da’Vine Joy Randolph for best supporting actress for Alexander Payne’s movie “The Holdovers”. Randolph emerged as the category favorite for her role as the grieving dame in the 1970s-set boarding school drama.

“Oh, Mary, you changed my life,” Randolph said of his character. “You made me feel seen in more ways than I could ever imagine.”

This was quickly followed by Robert Downey Jr.’s win; Robert Downey Jr. won his third Globe award for his supporting performance in “Oppenheimer.” This was the first head-to-head contest between Christopher Nolan’s epic and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” Downey’s closest rival was Ryan Gosling’s Kenergy.

“Golden Globe journalists, thank you for changing your game and therefore your name,” Downey said.

In the TV categories, Ali Wong and Steven Yeun won awards for their performances in “Beef.” Television’s leading contender, “Succession,” opened with a win for Matthew MacFadyen, who said he adored “playing Tom Wambsgans, who is a weird, wonderful blob of human fat every second.”

The carpet was red, but the color of the night might have been pink. “Barbie,” the biggest hit of the year, was the lead nominee with nine nominations, including best comedy and musical. The film’s star and producer, Margot Robbie, arrived for the role in a pink Armani dress inspired by 1977’s Superstar Barbie.

But no matter what color it was, it was a new-look Golden Globe. The awards returned without the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which was disbanded after years of diversity and ethics scandals. The Globes also lost its longtime network home. This year’s show will air on CBS under a one-year deal. Even the menu has changed with Nobu’s catering service.

The revamped Globes had the challenge of moving past a tumultuous few years while recapturing the bubbly, irreverent spirit of any show hosted by Ricky Gervais or Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. These broadcasts helped turn the Globes into the third major awards show of the year, after the Oscars and Grammys. The Globes’ ostentatious good time allowed many to overlook the improprieties of an awards show that often doubled as a punchline.

“I think he’s on the rise right now,” Colman Domingo, nominated for his lead performance in Bayard Rustin’s drama “Rustin,” said on the red carpet. “I think there was a bit of soul searching on their part, and we should all let everyone do their own soul searching.”

The late entrant was Taylor Swift, who was nominated for the newly launched “cinema and box office success” award with “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour”. Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, attended a game with his team, the Kansas City Chiefs, at nearby SoFi Stadium earlier in the afternoon.

In addition to the stand-up comedy award, there were new additions to this category this year. Also new: Most categories feature six nominees, not five.

You won’t see the two awards usually given at the Globes: the Cecil B. DeMille Award or the Carol Burnett Award. Neither of these memorial awards are being given out this year, but there are two new categories: the Blockbuster award and a stand-up comedy special award.

Gerwig’s “Barbie” is the biggest movie of the year, with ticket sales exceeding $1.4 billion; It leads with nine nominations, including best comedy or musical, best director for Gerwig, best actress for Robbie, and best supporting actor. Ryan Gosling and three original song nominations.

Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” follows close behind with eight nominations, including best drama, best director, Nolan, and best actor for Cillian Murphy.

On the TV side, HBO’s “Succession” series leads with nine nominations. “Bear” and “Just Murders in the Building” follow with five tracks each.

A few years ago, the Golden Globes were on the verge of collapse. After the Los Angeles Times reported that the HFPA had no black members, Hollywood boycotted the organization. The entire 2022 Globes have been canceled and removed from TV. Following the reforms, the Globes returned to NBC on a one-year deal last year, but the schedule was postponed to Tuesday evening. The telecast, hosted by Jerrod Carmichael, attracted 6.3 million viewers, a new low for NBC and a far cry from the 20 million viewers who once tuned in.

The Golden Globe Awards were acquired by Penske Media-owned Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions and turned into a for-profit venture. The HFPA (normally comprised of about 90 voters) has been dissolved, and a new group of approximately 300 entertainment journalists from around the world now votes on the awards.

There are still questions about the Globes’ long-term future, but its value to Hollywood studios remains in providing marketing support to awards nominees. (The Oscars won’t be held until March 10.) This year, due to an actors’ and writers’ strike, the Globes air before the Emmys, which have been postponed until January 15.

With movie ticket sales still 20% down from pre-pandemic levels and the industry facing a potentially tough 2024 at the box office, Hollywood needs the Golden Globes more than ever.