Amazon won its first Golden Globes for Transparent

In a step forward for both Amazon’s original content and LGBTQ representation on screen, the site won two awards for its show Transparent at the Golden Globes last night.

It bagged ‘Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy’ (the serious drama award went to Joshua Jackson’s slow-burn Showtime show, The Affair) and best actor for Jeffrey Tambor, who’s probably best known as George Bluth in Arrested Development.

Created by Jill Soloway based on her own family’s experience, Transparent explores the complications of coming out as transgender later in life, and along with the writing and other performances, Tambor’s portrayal of trans woman Maura Pfefferman has been critically acclaimed. He dedicated his win to the trans community, saying, ‘Thank you for your courage, thank you for your inspiration, thank you for your patience and thank you for letting us be a part of the change. Picking up the series award, Soloway paid tribute to Leelah Alcorn, ‘and transgender people who died too young’.

Transparent was one of five shows greenlit after Amazon Studios’ second pilot season in February 2014 and like all its original programming is only available (past the first episode) to Prime subscribers. Its first season was released last September and a second is on the way.

Online rival Netflix didn’t have as successful a night as in the past, but Kevin Spacey also picked up his first Golden Globe, ‘Best actor in a TV series, drama’ for his heavily-accented, fourth wall-breaking antihero Frank Underwood on House of Cards. The streaming service also picked the ceremony to debut the trailer for series three of the show, which will drop on 27 February.

See the full list of Golden Globe winners via the site.

Diane Shipley