Brady Corbet used his winning moment in the spotlight to remember what the film community just lost so tragically.

The 2025 Golden Globe winner for Best Director paid tribute to several people he lost from his personal life while making his three-hour-plus period drama The Brutalist, and then closed his speech with a tribute to Aubrey Plaza's late husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, who was found dead on Jan. 3. Authorities have said he died by suicide.

And his speech—which he read from his phone to ensure he didn't miss a word--was already a tear-jerker long before he got to his devastating coda.

In addition to thanking his "beautiful cast," including Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama, nominee Adrien Brody (who later won the honor), his "extraordinary producers," a crew who "I also hope will have me back," and friends "who have supported us through thick and thin," he shouted out his "creative partner and muse" Mona Fastvold and "incomparable mother" Mary Corbet."

And then things got really emotional.

Corbet directed all eyes toward daughter Ada, "who looks so stunning in that dress of hers tonight," he said, "that I'm thinking that this fiasco I got us all into may have very well been worth it."

Cut to Ada at the family's table, gushing happy tears and dolled up in layers of princess-worthy, ballet-pink shimmering tulle.

"I love you so much, Ada James," Corbet continued. "I’d like to thank the opportunity to acknowledge  three people that I lost while making this picture: My grandfather, James, his brother Jerry, and my dear friend [producer] Kevin Turen, who I miss every day. I wouldn’t be standing here tonight if it were not for their influence."

"And finally," he concluded, "tonight my heart is with Aubrey Plaza and Jeff’s family. Good night."

A speech to remember for so many reasons. Plaza, who was previously scheduled to present at the Jan. 5 ceremony but did not attend, acted in a number of her late husband's films, including Life After Beth and The Little Hours. She confirmed in May 2021 that they'd married after a decade together. 

See all of the winners from the 2025 Golden Globes:

WINNER: The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Nickel Boys

September 5

Anora

Challengers

WINNER: Emilia Pérez

A Real Pain

The Substance

Wicked

Amy Adams, Nightbitch

Cynthia Erivo, Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez

Mikey Madison, Anora

WINNER: Demi Moore, The Substance

Zendaya, Challengers

Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl

Angelina Jolie, Maria

Nicole Kidman, Babygirl

Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door

WINNER: Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

Kate Winslet, Lee

WINNER: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown

Daniel Craig, Queer

Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks

Dakota Fanning, Ripley

WINNER: Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer

Allison Janney, The Diplomat

Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country

Kathy Bates, Matlock

Emma D’Arcy, House of the Dragon

Maya Erskine, Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Keira Knightley, Black Doves

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

WINNER: Anna Sawai, Shogun

Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez

Ariana Grande, Wicked

Felicity Jones, The Brutalist

Margaret Qualley, The Substance

Isabella Rossellini, Conclave

WINNER: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Abbott Elementary

The Bear

The Gentlemen

WINNER: Hacks

Nobody Wants This

Only Murders in the Building

WINNER: Baby Reindeer

Disclaimer

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

The Penguin

Ripley

True Detective

The Day of the Jackal

The Diplomat

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

WINNER: Shogun

Slow Horses

Squid Game

WINNER: Tadanobu Asano, Shogun

Javier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Harrison Ford, Shrinking

Jack Lowden, Slow Horses

Diego Luna, La Máquina

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

WINNER: Colin Farrell, The Penguin

Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer

Kevin Kline, Disclaimer

Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Ewan McGregor, A Gentleman in Moscow

Andrew Scott, Ripley

Donald Glover, Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses

Eddie Redmayne, The Day of the Jackal

WINNER: Hiroyuki Sanada, Shogun

Billy Bob Thornton, Landman

Yura Borisov, Anora

WINNER: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce, The Brutalist

Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Denzel Washington, Gladiator II

Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain

Hugh Grant, Heretic

Gabriel LaBelle, Saturday Night

Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness

Glen Powell, Hit Man

WINNER: Sebastian Stan, A Different Man

Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building

Kathryn Hahn, Agatha All Along

WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks

Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer

WINNER: Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country

Cristin Milioti, The Penguin

Sofía Vergara, Griselda

Naomi Watts, Feud Capote vs. the Swans

Kate Winslet, The Regime

Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This

Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside

Steve Martin, Only Murders in The Building

Jason Segel, Shrinking

Martin Short, Only Murders in The Building

WINNER: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

WINNER: Flow 

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail

Moana 2

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

“Beautiful That Way," The Last Showgirl 

“Compress/Repress," Challengers 

WINNER: “El Mal,“ Emilia Pérez  

 “Forbidden Road,” Better Man

"Kiss the Sky," The Wild Robot

“Mi Camino," Emilia Pérez

Alien: Romulus

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Deadpool & Wolverine

Gladiator 2

Inside Out 2

Twisters

WINNER: Wicked

The Wild Robot