Emilia Perez and The Brutalist, the stars at the Golden Globes

Emilia Pérez, the narco-musical by French director Jacques Audiard, stole the spotlight at Sunday’s Golden Globes, while the drama The Brutalist also made a strong impression.

It was a night with surprises, such as the triumph of Brazilian Fernanda Torres, the return of Adrien Brody and poignant speeches by voices like Demi Moore.

Emilia Perez, filmed almost entirely in Spanish, won four statuettes, including the coveted best musical and comedy film, and also the non-English-language film.

"I don't have sisters, maybe that's the reason I made this film, for sisterhood," Audiard said in French, accepting the award for best foreign film.

"In difficult times, I hope 'Emilia Perez' will be a light," he added.

In a sort of sign of how the night would proceed, Dominican-American Zoe Saldaña took home the first award of the gala: the Golden Globe for best supporting actress in a dramatic film for her role in this surreal Netflix production.

However, Jacques Audiard did not get the coveted best director award, which went to Brady Corbet for The Brutalist.

The film about a Hungarian Jewish architect who emigrates to the United States after surviving the Holocaust came in as the second-most-nominated and did not disappoint.

The production also gave the Golden Globe to its leading man, Oscar-winner Adrien Brody, who with his award for best dramatic actor lived a kind of triumphant return.

Fernanda Torres surprises

In the acting categories, Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres delivered the night’s biggest surprise, winning the coveted Globe for Best Actress in a Drama for her powerful performance in I'm Still Here, Walter Salles' film about the 1970s disappearance of Congressman Rubens Paiva.

In a night of speeches, Demi Moore drew applause when she received her Globe for best actress in a comedy for her performance in The Substance, a film that addresses the impossible standards of beauty in the industry. She recalled that after more than 45 years, this is the first time she has won an award like this.

In a thematic coincidence, Sebastián Stan took the Globe for best actor in comedy or musical film for A Different Man, about a struggling actor who, afflicted by a disease that causes facial tumors, undergoes an experimental medical procedure to transform his appearance.

On TV, the Japanese historical epic Shogun was enshrined with three Globes, including best series, while Hacks won in two of the comedy categories. Baby Reindeer took the award for best miniseries.

Comedian Nikki Glaser took the reins at the ceremony, which was preceded by a lavish red carpet where gold was the color of the night, worn by actresses such as Demi Moore, Elle Fanning and Cate Blanchett.