If Davis’ victory seemed preordained, Sunday was also a night of upsets and surprises. Aaron Taylor-Johnson won the first Golden Globe Award on Sunday, picking up a best supporting actor statue for his work as a criminal psychopath in “Nocturnal Animals.” Taylor-Johnson beat out the heavily favored Mahershala Ali, who has earned plaudits for his work as a sympathetic drug dealer in “Moonlight.” The English actor wasn’t even expected to pick up a nomination. “Nocturnal Animals” stepped into some controversy before nominations were even announced. Globe voters were told to give back Tom Ford perfume that was sent out to hawk the film because it went over the dollar limit for gifts they are allowed to receive.
Taylor-Johnson’s win wasn’t the only early upset. Billy Bob Thornton also picked up a best TV actor in a drama statue for his performance as an unconventional lawyer in the Amazon series “Goliath.” In his speech, Thornton quipped that he had a longstanding rivalry with Bob Odenkirk, a fellow nominee for “Better Call Saul,” that dated back to their work with Van Johnson in the 1940s.