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At this year’s Golden Globes ceremony in Los Angeles, a brief moment on stage caused confusion and murmurs in the VIP rows: British star comedian Ricky Gervais was awarded best comedy special artist for his current Netflix program “Morality” – but was not present on the US West Coast himself. The laudation and acceptance of the award was given by US comedienne Wanda Sykes, who made a pointed point in her speech. This is reported by various US industry media, including the film magazine “Variety”.
When presenting the award, Sykes thanked “God and the trans community” – an ironic reference to the fact that Gervais is an avowed atheist. At the same time, the 64-year-old has been criticized for years for transphobic jokes. Sykes was indirectly referring to Gervais’ Netflix special “SuperNature” from 2022, which sparked international debate because of its portrayal of trans people.
Gervais himself hardly commented publicly on the criticism. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos defended him at the time, pointing out that comedy has to occasionally push boundaries and that free expression is a central part of American culture.
Award in new category
Gervais was now honored for “Morality” in the still relatively new “Best Stand-Up Comedy Special” category, in which he prevailed against colleagues such as Bill Maher, Sarah Silverman, Kumail Nanjiani, Kevin Hart and Brett Goldstein.
Before the award ceremony, Wanda Sykes used her role as moderator to launch an extensive all-round attack on all the nominees – with some sharp, some loving and biting comments. What was particularly clear was her advance announcement that if Gervais won, she would use exactly those words of thanks that would deliberately counteract his public TV persona.
Gervais, who won the first Golden Globe in 2024 for the stand-up special “Armageddon”, can look back on a certain tradition at the Globes: ten nominations, he was the moderator of the award five times – always as a provocateur who deliberately travels into border zones. In an interview on the occasion of his honor with a star floor tile on the “Hollywood Walk of Fame”, he explained that he likes it when the audience is at the beginning of one I feel insecure when telling a joke. In addition, his punchlines often seem more brutal than they actually are because they deliberately play with moral gray areas.
Wanda Sykes: Progressive voice in US comedy
Wanda Sykes is an American stand-up comedian, actress and author. The 61-year-old has been one of the most influential voices in the US humor business since the mid-1990s.
She first became known as a writer for the program “The Chris Rock Show”, later through her own stand-up programs, film and series roles and as an astute political commentator. Her humor is socially critical, often explicitly political and combines personal experience with topics such as racism, gender politics and LGBTQ+ rights. Sykes is considered one of the most proven and incisive progressive voices in mainstream US entertainment.