During Brady Corbet‘s acceptance speech for his best director win for The Brutalist at Sunday’s 2025 Golden Globes, he took a moment to honor indie film writer-director and Aubrey Plaza’s husband Jeff Baena, who died by suicide Friday at the age of 47.
“My heart is with Aubrey Plaza and Jeff’s family,” Corbet said at the end of his speech.
Michael Keaton presented the award to Corbet, who this year received his first nomination and first win for the film that was seven years in the making.
“Sincere thanks to the Golden Globes for giving our film further visibility with such recognition,” Corbet said in his speech. “It is extraordinarily meaningful for a film like this that once, a few short months ago, had the odds very much stacked against it. I would also be remiss not to mention that I am humbled to be in such excellent company, filmmakers I genuinely admire. Hundreds of very devoted people worked on this film for years before, during and after its realization.”
He also honored three people he had lost while making this picture: his grandfather, his grandfather’s brother and his friend, producer Kevin Turen. “I wouldn’t be standing here tonight if it were not for their influence.”
Corbet was nominated alongside Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez), Sean Baker (Anora), Edward Berger (Conclave), Coralie Fargeat (The Substance) and Payal Kapadia (All We Imagine as Light).
While this year, two women were nominated in the category, so far in the Globes’ history, only three women have won the award for best director. Barbra Streisand, Chloé Zhao and Jane Campion are the only women who have won the award, while Kathryn Bigelow, Ava DuVernay, Regina King, Emerald Fennell, Greta Gerwig and Celine Song received nods.
Golden Globes producer Dick Clark Productions is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge that also owns The Hollywood Reporter.
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