The World’s Borough shines at the Golden Globes

Andra Day took home the prize for Best Actress in a Drama for her portrayal of Queens resident Billie Holiday in the film the “United States vs. Billie Holiday.” Photo by Andy Witchger/Wikimedia Commons

By Rachel Vick

The World’s Borough shined at the Golden Globe Awards Sunday night, as Queens natives or Queens-inspired productions featured prominently at the annual celebration.

The event kicks off awards season, with honors determined by the Hollywood Foreign Press Corps. 

Big Queens winners included “Soul,” a Disney Pixar film about a jazz musician and teacher from Queens, that earned the prize for best animated film and movie score. 

In another nod to Queens’ jazz history: Andra Day won the award for best actress in a drama for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” The film follows Holiday during  the last decade of her life, when she lived in Addisleigh Park, Flushing and Corona.

Brooklyn-born Kemp Powers co-directed “Soul” and was also nominated for best screenplay for the script for “One Night in Miami.” The movie, based on his play of the same name, features a fictionalized account of a 1964 meeting between Cassius Clay, just before he became Muhammad Ali, musician Sam Cooke, football star Jim Brown and civil rights icon Malcolm X. At the time, Malcolm X was living in East Elmhurst.

Queens-born Ramy Youssef was nominated for best actor in a comedy for his show “Ramy,” set on the other side of the Hudson River (He grew up in New Jersey). Flushing native Nora Lum, better known as Awkwafina, served as a presenter.

And the series “Flight Attendant,” nominated for best comedy series and actress in a comedy series portrays a New York City flight attendant who no doubt arrives and departs from Queens’ two international airports.