Teyana Taylor chokes up accepting first Golden Globe with powerful speech

Teyana Taylor was fighting through the tears as she accepted her first ever Golden Globe Award.

The multihyphenate star — who has carved her path as an actress, singer-songwriter, choreographer, model, and music video director since the age of 15 — added a new accolade to her resume as she won the Golden Globe for best supporting actress in a motion picture for her role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s black comedy One Battle After Another. Taylor, 35, took home the award for her performance as revolutionary Perfidia Beverly Hills.

Choking up onstage, she admitted, “I almost didn’t even write a speech because I didn’t think I would [win].” She went on to thank God, her family and the One Battle team before turning her attention to the audience watching at home.

“Most importantly, to my brown sisters and little brown girls watching tonight,” Taylor said, “our softness is not a liability.” She continued with a powerful reminder: “Our light does not need permission to shine. We belong in every room we walk into. Our voices matter and our dream deserves space.”

The win marks Taylor’s first Golden Globe nomination and victory, despite years of critical praise for her acting work, including her acclaimed turn in A Thousand and One. Several of her One Battle co-stars were also nominated this year, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Chase Infiniti.

Later, in the press room, Taylor reflected on her long journey. “I’ve been doing this since I was 15 years old,” she said. “And what this was, for me, was God reminding me that the wait is not punishment, it’s preparation for what’s already written.”