What is the difference between the Golden Globes and Oscars?

The Golden Globes aired last night, marking one of the first major ceremonies of the 2024 awards season – but what’s the difference between it and the Oscars?

Dread it, run from it, awards season arrives all the same. Ever since last year’s Academy Awards, movie journalists and prognosticators have quietly noted (or loudly proclaimed) movies and TV shows that may have what it takes to go all the way when the gauntlet of ceremonies comes back around.

Between January and March this year, you’ll see an onslaught of social media posts about actors, filmmakers, and other celebrities winning (and losing) awards at several ceremonies. This includes but isn’t limited to the BAFTAs, Emmys, Critics Choice Awards, SGAs, and PGAs (this has nothing to do with golf).

However, if you’re not au fait with each awards body, you may feel a bit lost trying to keep up. So, we’ll start things off with a simple question: what is the difference between the Golden Globes and Oscars?

Golden Globes vs Oscars difference explained

Here’s a quick explanation: the Golden Globes and Oscars are completely separate ceremonies with major differences, including their voting bodies and categories.

We’ve broken it down in a bit more detail below.

Voting bodies

The Golden Globes are decided by around 300 entertainment journalists from across the world, while the Oscars are voted on by The Academy, which has a membership of more than 10,500 industry artists and leaders.

This year’s Golden Globes was the inaugural ceremony for the new voting body, formed under Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge Productions after it acquired the awards last year. This also followed the disbandment of the Hollywood Foreign Press, the organization previously responsible for conducting the Golden Globes, coming after a years-long stretch of controversies regarding sexual harassment allegations, self-dealing, and diversity.

The Academy’s membership is by invitation only, including actors, filmmakers, writers, and thousands of other creatives across its 18 branches.

Categories

The Golden Globes hand out awards for 27 categories across movies and television, while the Oscars has 24 categories specifically for film.

Both ceremonies have similar awards, but with a few notable differences: the Globes splits its Best Picture, TV Series, Actor, and Actress prizes between Drama and Musical/Comedy. For example, in this year’s ceremony, there were two Best Actor wins in TV: Jeremy Allen White for his performance in The Bear (Musical/Comedy) and Kieran Culkin for Succession (Drama).

The Globe also added two new categories: Cinematic and Box Office Achievement in Motion Pictures and Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television.

Ceremonies

The Golden Globes takes place at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, usually at the start of awards season in January each year. The Oscars cap off the season in March/April, hosted at the Dolby Theatre.

There’s also the matter of reputation: the Oscars is easily the more prestigious event, with the Globes being known more for its controversies and bizarre nominees. However, despite streamers branding the Globes “damaged property” and Jo Koy’s disastrous hosting, the 2024 ceremony earned some plaudits.

That’s not to say the former isn’t without its scandals: in 2022, Will Smith smacked Chris Rock in the face after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, and 2021’s ceremony ended rather awkwardly with Anthony Hopkins’ Best Actor win after the show had been structured around a presumed post-humous victory for Chadwick Boseman.

You can check out the list of every winner and nominee at the 2024 Golden Globes here.