THE Golden Globes are often seen as a just a warm-up to the Academy Awards, providing A-listers with the chance to rehearse their red-carpet strut before the real show begins.

The 2018 edition on Sunday night, however, was punctuated by a string of powerful speeches and symbolic gestures, proving that the Globes still have the potential to put actors at the heart of contemporary political issues.

Hollywood was rocked last year by sexual harassment allegations involving the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and many others, and this was the first major awards ceremony to take place since the scandal broke.

WHO WORE WHAT?

MOST stars wore black on the red carpet, a sign of solidarity with victims of sexual assault and harassment. Many men did likewise, and the stars also sported Time’s Up badges to highlight the campaign launched by women working in Hollywood to combat systemic sexual harassment in the entertainment industry and other US workplaces.

Julianne Moore was one of several high-profile stars who took to Instagram to explain the blackout, using the #whywewearblack hashtag. She said: “For equality for all across ALL industries. For safety for every worker in every occupation. For inclusion of all women and marginalized people.”

AND THE WINNERS WERE ...

THREE Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was the big winner in the film categories, with four awards, including best motion picture (drama) and best actress (drama) for Frances McDormand. Guillermo Del Toro won best director for The Shape of Water, while Gary Oldman won best actor (drama) for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.

In TV, The Handmaid’s Tale, the television series about a dystopian reality where women are forced into becoming surrogates for a brutal male hierarchy, won two awards, including best actress in a drama award for Elizabeth Moss.

Moss quoted from the novel, written by Margaret Atwood, that was the inspiration for the series. She said: “We were the people who were not in the papers.

“We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories. We no longer live in the gaps between the stories. We are the story in print, and we are writing the story ourselves.”

Nicole Kidman was commended for her portrayal of an abused spouse in Big Little Lies.

Rachel Brosnahan won best performance by an actress in a television series for her role in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – a 1950s-set programme about a housewife trying her hand at stand-up comedy in a patriarchal society. There were also notable successes for ethnic minority actors. Aziz Ansari became the first Asian American actor to win the best leading performance in a TV comedy award for his hit series Master of None.

Sterling K Brown also made history as the first black man to win the award for best actor in a TV drama for his role in This Is Us.

A-listers were not shy about reminding us that much work remains to be done if equality in the entertainment industries is to be achieved. Natalie Portman, for instance, made a point of introducing the “all-male nominees” as she presented the best film director award.

ANY SCOTS?

EWAN McGregor took home the award for best actor in a limited television series for his role in Fargo series three. The Perthshire man was recognised for his skilful portrayal of twins Emmit and Ray Stussy. McGregor also had gossip columnists scribbling after thanking both his estranged wife, Eve Mavrakis, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead – reported to be his new girlfriend.

A PRESIDENTIAL PERFORMANCE

ON an evening of firsts, one record-breaker stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Chat show legend and former Oscar nominee Oprah Winfrey became the first black women to receive the Cecil B DeMille award for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment”.

Winfrey multiplied the decibel level when she stepped on to the stage but by the time she had left, it seemed the roof of the Beverly Hilton hotel was in danger of caving in.

The actor spoke of the legacy of Jim Crow America, civil rights legend Rosa Parks, and the modern-day fight against discrimination in all its forms.

“I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon. And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women,” Winfrey said.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the speech has resurrected suspicions that Winfrey has her heart set on an unlikely presidential bid.

CNN has since reported that two of her close friends have suggested Winfrey is “actively thinking” about making a move for the White House.

It seems, ultimately, that this year’s Golden Globes have been a warm-up – certainly for the Oscars and, who knows, maybe even for the 2020 presidential race.