Golden Globes: West Side Story and The Power of the Dog win at subdued event

West Side Story and The Power of the Dog were the big winners at a subdued Golden Globe Awards ceremony on Sunday.

This year's event was dramatically pared down - it took place without any celebrities in attendance and the ceremony was not even televised.

The muted nature of this year's event follows allegations of corruption and a lack of diversity in its voting body.

As a result, the low-key 2022 ceremony took place in Los Angeles without a red carpet or official press access.

The typically star studded and joke filled event was replaced by periodic updates from the Golden Globes website and official social media accounts.

Steven Spielberg's remake of the classic 1961 film West Wide Story won best musical or comedy film, and acting awards for its star Rachel Zegler and supporting actress Ariana DeBose.

Although neither were there in person, both actresses thanked the Globes for their wins on Twitter while acknowledging the controversy surrounding the HFPA.

"There is still work to be done, but when you've worked so hard on a project - infused with blood, sweat, tears and love - having the work seen and acknowledged is always going to be special. Thank you," tweeted DeBose.

Zegler tweeted: "I got cast as Maria in west side story on 9 January 2019. And i just won a golden globe for that same performance, on 9 January 2022. Life is very strange."

The Power Of The Dog was named best drama film, with Jane Campion awarded best director and Kodi Smit-McPhee best supporting drama actor.

The Australian stars alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst as a timid young man who forms a complicated bond with a gritty cowboy following an initially hostile relationship.

Cumberbatch was nominated for best drama actor for his role in the film but lost out to Will Smith, who won for his performance in King Richard.

Smith plays Richard Williams in the film, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, and follows him as he grooms his daughters to become world champions.

Best drama actress went to Nicole Kidman for her portrayal of TV legend Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin's Being the Ricardos, marking her fifth Globe win.

The film, in which Kidman stars alongside Javier Bardem, follows a week of production for the American sitcom I Love Lucy.

"Thank you for the acknowledgement!," Kidman posted on her Instagram story. "Lucille, this is for you and all the other incredible women nominated."

Succession was the big winner in the TV categories at the low-key event, taking home three prizes including best drama series.

The programme follows the power struggle within the Roy family, headed by media mogul Logan Roy, who is played by British actor Brian Cox.

Cast members Jeremy Strong and Sarah Snook were both individually recognised for their performances, winning best TV drama actor and best supporting actress respectively.

This year's Globes also saw one ground-breaking victory, with Michaela Jae Rodriguez becoming the first transgender actress to win, for her performance in Pose.

The controversy surrounding the HFPA resulted in a muted event, which was not even televised.

The absence of famous attendees and even an online live-stream of the ceremony meant no emotional or memorable acceptance speeches could be made.

However, some stars did make appearances virtually, while many industry figures, such as production company bosses, were invited to speak or present categories in person.

The Globes are traditionally billed as Tinseltown's biggest party, and in previous years the event has been watched by TV audiences of millions, and spawned frenzied debate and memes on social media.

The Globes are usually closely followed for the immediate box office boost and Oscar momentum that a win can provide, but this year those were hugely overshadowed by a long-brewing row over ethical lapses by the organizers.

The decision to make the awards a private event was announced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the organisation that presents the awards, last week.

The HFPA was criticised last year after it emerged that the group accepted inappropriate gifts and benefits from the companies behind some of the nominees.

An expose in the Los Angeles Times also found it had no black members, prompting the association to overhaul its bylaws and implement changes addressing ethics and inclusion.

The broadcast of the 2022 award ceremony was also dropped by US network NBC.

Since then, the HFPA has promised to overhaul its practises and diversify its membership.

During Sunday's event Neil Phillips, the HFPA's chief of diversity, said the event was in a "necessary phase of progress".

By Steven McIntosh, entertainment reporter

Normally, the Golden Globes are the most fun awards ceremony of the year. The A-list nominees, still on a high from their Christmas breaks, are usually in a good mood and can have a bit more fun than they would at the much more formal and consequential Oscars the following month.

There's often an acerbic host such as Ricky Gervais or Tina Fey and Amy Poehler also on hand to poke fun at the stars in attendance, much to the delight of viewers at home who find many of these awards ceremonies elitist and pretentious.

But the Globes are in Hollywood's dog house for a year while they sort themselves out, following allegations of corruption and a lack of diversity within their voting body which emerged in an LA Times expose last year.

As a result, actors, film studios and PR teams broadly agreed not to take part this year, and that was before the Globes officially decided not to invite anyone anyway.

The lack of a telecast means the Globes are of significantly reduced importance in the wider awards season. So, in what is effectively a fallow year, what did the behind-closed-doors Golden Globes tell us about the 2022 awards race?

Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, a remake which was considered a towering cinematic achievement, under-performed at the box office when it was released in December.

The movie's wins at the Globes, however, prove that it still has significant traction with voters ahead of the Academy Award nominations in February.

Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog, a much quieter and subtle film than many other best picture contenders, has emerged as a dark horse (or dog), and won three Globes on Sunday. Don't bet against it taking home the top prize at the Oscars.

The best picture race this year is currently considered a three-way battle between these two films and Kenneth Branagh's magnificent Belfast, which won best screenplay at Sunday's Globes.

In the acting races, Will Smith cemented his status as the favourite to win best actor with his Globe win for King Richard. He has never won an Oscar, despite being nominated twice, but it looks highly that could change this year.

However, in a best actress race that has seen awards watchers widely predict a victory for Kristen Stewart for her performance as Princess Diana, the Globes instead opted for Nicole Kidman's portrayal as Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos. Could that signal an Oscars upset?

The Globes have a mixed history when it comes to predicting the Academy Award winners, but this does give us an indication of which films have gone down well in voting groups. Let's see if the Oscars follow suit.