Golden Globes diversity wins: Ryan Murphy honors LGBTQ stars; Ke Huy Quan, more earn prizes

The Golden Globes are learning from the past.

The awards show returned Tuesday night a year after NBC dropped the broadcast amid reports about the the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s lack of diversity.

Apart from its internal changes – the HFPA announced it was adding 21 ethnically-diverse members in October 2021 – the makeup of the Globes' winners also marked a change, with several creators of color nabbing top awards.

Here are some of the notable diversity wins from Tuesday's awards ceremony.

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Ryan Murphy honored with the Carol Burnett Award

Ryan Murphy was presented with the Carol Burnett Award, an award given for achievement in television. During his speech, Murphy gave a shout-out to "Pose" star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez as the first trans woman to win a Globe (since last year's awards ceremony wasn't televised).

"When I was a young person at home in the '70s watching 'The Carol Burnett Show,' I never ever saw a person like me getting an award or even being a character on a TV show," Murphy said. "It's hard being an LGBTQ kid in America, in fact all over the world,  then and now."

In addition to Rodriguez, Murphy paid tribute to other LGBTQ actors he's worked with throughout his career, including Matt Bomer, Niecy Nash and Jeremy Pope, who he called "north stars" for LGBTQ youth. 

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Michelle Yeoh wins lead actress honor for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'

Michelle Yeoh, who starred in the action-comedy "Everything Everywhere All at Once," nabbed the prize for best lead actress in a comedy/musical. Yeoh said it's been "an incredible fight to be here today" and that a glass ceiling has been "ninja kicked." 

"I'm just so happy that I’m still here when this change has happened and I’m not in my rocking chair going ‘Why didn’t I get that chance?'" Yeoh said. "I’m going to work hard that this is not just going to be the only time I'm here, and for all that looks like us, we are going to move forward and find bigger and better opportunities."

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'Everything Everywhere' star Ke Huy Quan wins best supporting actor

Ke Huy Quan took home the first award of the night, winning best supporting actor for his role in "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

Quan expressed gratitude not only for breaking back into acting in a big way, but also for doing so at a time when Hollywood is more focused than ever on diversity. 

"Moving forward, I really want to play all kinds of roles. That was not available to me when I was much, much younger," he said. "I'm grateful the landscape has changed, there’s a lot more progress now. I just want to keep an open mind and to see what’s out there."

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Abbott Elementary' snags best comedy, acting honors

"Abbott Elementary" star Tyler James Williams won best supporting actor in a TV show for his role in the ABC comedy.

"The magnitude of the moment is not lost on me," Williams said, adding that he "hopes this is a win for (his character) Gregory Eddie and for stories like his that need to be told out here."

Williams triumphantly returned to the stage with co-star and "Abbott Elementary" creator Quinta Brunson when the series won best musical/comedy television show (Brunson also took home best actress in a TV comedy/musical). "Comedy is so important to me. Comedy brings people together," Brunson said onstage.

Speaking to reporters alongside co-stars Lisa Ann Walter and Sheryl Lee Ralph, Brunson said  the inclusiveness of "Abbott" is “just a given." 

“You can’t tell a story about a West Philadelphia public school without just being truthful about the environment, and that was one of the things that was exciting to me about making (the show),” Brunson said “I don’t really have to fight too much to have diversity.”

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Guillermo del Toro's 'Pinocchio' wins best animated film

Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was awarded best animated film for his stop-motion remake of "Pinocchio."

"I'm very grateful for this and I'm happy to here in person. We're back! Some of us are drunk, what could be better," Del Toro said. "Animation is cinema – it's not a genre for kids. It's a medium."

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Eddie Murphy is honored with Cecil B. DeMille Award

Actor and comedian Eddie Murphy was presented with the Cecil B. DeMille achievement award. With a 40-plus-year career under his belt, Murphy called the win "a long time in the making."

"There is a definitive blueprint to follow for success, prosperity, longevity and peace of mind," Murphy said to the "new up-and-coming dreamers in the room."  "I followed it my whole career. These three things: Pay your taxes, mind your business and keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out of your (expletive) mouth!"

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HFPA president vows to continue supporting diverse perspectives

Ahead of the final two awards of the night being presented, HFPA President Helen Hoehne took a moment to express gratitude for "the support of the industry" in celebrating the Globes' 80th anniversary.

"This has been a year of momentous change for our organization. We're proud of the work we have done, the progress we've made and the journey we're on," Hoehne said. "We will continue to support groups that amplify a variety of voices and continue to add representation to our organization from around the world as we did this past year."

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Contributing: Charles Trepany, Erin Jensen, Marco della Cava and Brian Truitt, USA TODAY