The Golden Globe Awards proved a successful night for Oppenheimer, which scored five major awards during the ceremony.

British film-maker Christopher Nolan was named best director for the first time after six nominations, while Irish actor Cillian Murphy took home best actor in a drama for his work as the father of the atomic bomb.

Oppenheimer was also named best drama motion picture, which saw Nolan’s wife Emma Thomas serve as producer, and best supporting actor went to Robert Downey Jr for his role in the thriller – which also stars British actresses Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh.

Murphy, who played theoretical physicist J Robert Oppenheimer in the biopic and is also known for Peaky Blinders, paid tribute to Nolan’s “level of dedication” when accepting his gong.

While accepting his award, Nolan said: “Thank you, Golden Globes. The only other time I’ve been on this stage before was accepting one of these on behalf our our dear friend (star of his The Dark Knight film) Heath Ledger (who died in 2008) and that was complicated and challenging for me.”

He said that then and now Robert Downey Jr, who plays businessman and government official Lewis Strauss in his latest film, “gave me a look of love and support” from the audience.

Elsewhere, TV show Succession also proved a big hit at the 81st ceremony at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, scoring best TV drama series, while best female actor in a TV series drama went to Australian actress Sarah Snook – who said the show had changed her life.

Succession stars Kieran Culkin and Matthew Macfadyen were also among the winners in the TV categories for best actor and best supporting actor in a TV series drama respectively.

Culkin said: “I was nominated for a Golden Globe like 20 years ago and when that moment passed, I sort of remember thinking I’m never going to be back in this room again.

“But thanks to Succession I’ve been in here a couple of times, I accepted I would never be on the stage so this is a nice moment. Suck it Pedro (Pascal), sorry, mine.”

Barbie took home two awards of the nine it was nominated for, winning the Golden Globe for cinematic and box office achievement and best original song for US stars Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell.

“I was not expecting this,” Eilish said of her Golden Globe win for What Was I Made For?

“It was exactly a year ago almost that we were shown the movie and I was very, very miserable and depressed at the time, and writing that song kind of saved me a little bit, a year later and here we are, it’s really surreal.”

Meanwhile, Swedish composer Ludwig Goransson won best original score for Oppenheimer.

There was also triumph for Beef stars Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, who were named best actor and best actress in a limited series, while the show was also named best limited series.

In the Netflix series, they play a duo who start a life-changing feud after a road rage incident.

Wong praised her ex-husband, “father of my children and my best friend” Justin Hakuta for his “love and support” while picking up her first Golden Globe.

“It’s because of you that I’m able to be a working mother,” she said.

The pair announced their split after eight years of marriage in April 2022.

Poor Things was named best musical or comedy, which saw director Yorgos Lanthimos joke on stage that he just wanted to talk to Bruce Springsteen all night, and best female actor in a musical or comedy went to Emma Stone.

Stone, who plays Bella Baxter in the film, said: “Playing Bella was unbelievable, I think this is a rom-com, I see this as a rom-com. Bella falls in love with life itself, rather than a person.

“She accepts the good, that really made me look at life differently, that all of it counts, all of it is important… this means the world to me.”

The ceremony also saw a “historical win” for Killers Of The Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone, who began her speech in the Blackfoot language, while Elizabeth Debicki also picked up her first Golden Globe Award for her role as Diana, Princess of Wales, in The Crown.

The Australian actress, 33, dedicated the award to her godmother who “left us too quickly” and thanked her “pretend children” Ed McVey and Luther Ford, who play Prince William and Prince Harry on the show respectively.

Gladstone, who is the first indigenous winner for best actress in a dramatic film, said: “This is a historic win. It does not just belong to just me, I’m holding it right now, I’m holding it for all my beautiful sisters.”

Her co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, said before the ceremony that he wore an Osage Nation pin in solidarity as he was “standing in unison” with the native community for the film.

Anatomy Of A Fall won the best screenplay and later picked up best non-English language film, while The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri won for best male and female performance in a TV series respectively.

“I’m in a room full of so many people who I admire who’s work has lifted me up,” Edebiri said, as she also thanked the assistants of her agents “for answering my crazy, crazy emails”.

The Holdovers also picked up two prizes for best male actor in comedy for Paul Giamatti, who dedicated the award to teachers, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph who took home best female supporting actor.

She said of her character: “You have changed my life and made me feel seen and I hope I helped you find your inner Mary, because there is a little Mary in all of us.”

The new stand up comedy performance award went to Ricky Gervais, who has previously hosted the Golden Globes, but he was not at the ceremony.

Comedian Jo Koy opened the night with a monologue that drew a muted response from the star-studded audience.

He responded: “I got the gig 10 days ago! You want a perfect monologue? Shut up! I wrote some of these and those are the ones you’re laughing at.”