Golden Globes

15 Things You Didn't Know About the Golden Globe Awards

Check out these little-known facts about Hollywood's big party.

Grace Kelly, Jean Simmons And Gregory Peck
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The Hollywood trophy season revs up when the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards are handed out at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Tuesday, Jan. 10.

The event — telecast live on NBC and streaming on Peacock from 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT — honors the year's best and brightest from the big and small screens and is hosted by comedian Jerrod Carmichael.

Think you know your Globes trivia from your Oscars minutiae? Check out these little-known facts about Hollywood's biggest party:

1. The Golden Globe Awards began in 1944 but didn't have a host until 1958, when Rat Pack members Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. stormed the stage and took over unofficial hosting duties.

2. Meryl Streep is the ruling queen of the Globes. She has won eight Golden Globe awards.

3. Each year, the Golden Globe Ambassador (previously called Miss or Mister Golden Globe) assists in handing out the awards on the big night. The chosen ambassador is traditionally the daughter or son of actors/actresses, directors, producers. The tradition started in 1962.

4. The Golden Globe statuette is plated in 24-karat gold.

5. The Globe statuette weighs in at a whopping 5.5 pounds.

6. Rather than make a traditional acceptance speech in 1999, Globe recipient Jack Nicholson decided mooning the audience would be a much better idea. 

7. In 1989, there was a three-way tie for best actress (drama) between Jodie Foster ("The Accused"), Shirley MacLaine ("Madame Sousatzka") and Sigourney Weaver ("Gorillas in the Mist").

8. Due to a Writers Guild strike the 2008 ceremony was cancelled after members of the Screen Actors Guild pledged not to cross picket lines outside of the event. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association replaced that year's party with a televised press conference announcing the winners instead.

9. From 1958 to 1963, the Golden Globes were only broadcast locally in Los Angeles. In 1964, the telecast went national.

10. The youngest ever Globe winner is Ricky Schroeder, who was 9 years old when he won for "The Champ."

11. A Golden Globe? No thanks! Marlon Brando rejected his award for "The Godfather" in 1973 to protest "U.S. imperialism and racism" during the Vietnam War.

12. The ceremony has been held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel every year since 1961.

13. The cost of manufacturing a Golden Globe statuette is approximately $800.

14. Both Renée Zellweger (2001) and Christine Lahti (1998) were in the ladies room when their names were announced to accept an award.

15. Awards are presented across 25 different categories on the night. 

Editor's Note: A version of this story was originally published Dec. 12, 2015. It has been updated.

The nominations for the 80th Golden Globe Awards were announced on Monday, with “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “Abbot Elementary” leading the pack.

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