LOS ANGELES: Lady Gaga won the first of what is expected to be several Golden Globe awards for “A Star is Born” on Sunday, for her original song “Shallow.”
The pop superstar is also a favorite to take home the best actress Globe for “A Star is Born,” her first lead role, later at the ceremony in Beverly Hills.
“As a woman in music, it is really hard to be taken seriously as a musician and a songwriter,” said the singer as she accepted her award, dressed in a lavender gown and wearing her hair colored blue.
As widely expected, Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron’s semi-autobiographical black and white film “Roma” won best foreign language movie.
It was also a big night for Sandra Oh, who as well as hosting her first Golden Globe ceremony was named best television drama actress for BBC America thriller “Killing Eve.”
Oh, who was born in Canada of Asian descent, had earlier paid tribute to the plethora of Golden Globe-nominated films and TV shows featuring black and Asian actors and directors, including “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Black Panther,” and “BlacKkKlansman.”
“I wanted to be here to look out into this audience and witness this moment of change,” Oh said. “Right now this moment is real. Because I see you ... all these faces of change. And now so will everyone else.”
Oh and co-host Andy Samberg opted for a positive vibe, in contrast to the political barbs and sharp jokes, often directed at US President Donald Trump, that have marked recent awards shows.
“Bradley Cooper — you are hot!,” said Oh, calling out the “A Star is Born” actor and director.
“Hey Jeff, I wish you were my dad,” quipped Samberg, addressing actor Jeff Bridges, who was presented with a lifetime achievement award.
Taking a more political tack, British actor Christian Bale was named best comedy or musical actor for his transformative performance as former US Vice President Dick Cheney in the scathing comedy “Vice.”
“Thank you, Satan, for giving me inspiration on how to play this role,” an overjoyed Bale said.
The Golden Globes, which kick off the countdown to the Oscars in February, also honored Mahershala Ali for his supporting role as a black 1960s pianist in “Green Book” and Regina King for playing a mother in racial injustice movie “If Beale Street Could Talk.”
In television, Cold War spy drama series “The Americans,” and actors Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method“) and Richard Madden (“Bodyguard“) took home trophies.
Lady Gaga, ‘Roma’ shine at nice over nasty Golden Globes
Lady Gaga, ‘Roma’ shine at nice over nasty Golden Globes
- The first awards of the night went to “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” for best animated feature and Hollywood veteran Michael Douglas, who has impressed in Netflix TV comedy “The Kominsky Method”
Cambodia takes back looted historic artifacts handled by British art dealer
- The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian officials on Friday received more than six dozen historic artifacts described as part of the country’s cultural heritage that had been looted during decades of war and instability.
At a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, the 74 items were unveiled at the National Museum in Phnom Penh after their repatriation from the United Kingdom.
The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia.
“This substantial restitution represents one of the most important returns of Khmer cultural heritage in recent years, following major repatriations in 2021 and 2023 from the same collection,” the Culture Ministry said in a statement. “It marks a significant step forward in Cambodia’s continued efforts to recover, preserve, and restore its ancestral legacy for future generations.”
The artifacts were described as dating from the pre-Angkorian period through the height of the Angkor Empire, including “monumental sandstone sculptures, refined bronze works, and significant ritual objects.” The Angkor Empire, which extended from the ninth to the 15th century, is best known for the Angkor Wat archaeological site, the nation’s biggest tourist attraction.
Latchford was a prominent antiquities dealer who allegedly orchestrated an operation to sell looted Cambodian sculptures on the international market.
From 1970 to the 1980s, during Cambodia’s civil wars and the communist Khmer Rouge ‘s brutal reign, organized looting networks sent artifacts to Latchford, who then sold them to Western collectors, dealers, and institutions. These pieces were often physically damaged, having been pried off temple walls or other structures by the looters.
Latchford was indicted in a New York federal court in 2019 on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy. He died in 2020, aged 88, before he could be extradited to face charges.
Cambodia, like neighboring Thailand, has benefited from a trend in recent decades involving the repatriation of art and archaeological treasures. These include ancient Asian artworks as well as pieces lost or stolen during turmoil in places such as Syria, Iraq and Nazi-occupied Europe. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the prominent institutions that has been returning illegally smuggled art, including to Cambodia.
“The ancient artifacts created and preserved by our ancestors are now being returned to Cambodia, bringing warmth and joy, following the country’s return to peace,” said Hun Many, who is the younger brother of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
