Amazon series 'Mozart in the Jungle' wins comedy Globe

"Mozart in the Jungle," Amazon's television series about a classical musician's off-stage misadventures, won two Golden Globes on Sunday, while cult hacker thriller "Mr. Robot" triumphed as best drama on the small screen.

"Mozart in the Jungle" won the award for best comedy or musical series and its star, Mexican heartthrob Gael Garcia Bernal, won for best actor in the category.

"I want to dedicate this to music, to all the people that play their music, (for the) common ground for communication, for justice, for happiness," Garcia Bernal said as he accepted the prize at the star-studded gala in Beverly Hills.

Garcia Bernal plays a rising conductor named Rodrigo, who travels through New York's raucous nightlife while enduring criticism from his predecessor, played by Malcolm McDowell of "A Clockwork Orange" fame.
The story is loosely inspired by Gustavo Dudamel, the Venezuelan conductor who directs the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

"An orchestra is like a family -- sometimes a dysfunctional family -- of people who harness their vitality to become one big instrument," series co-creator Paul Weitz said as he accepted the best series award.

"Mozart in the Jungle" is the latest success story for Amazon Studios, the streaming service established by the Seattle-based e-commerce giant.

"Transparent," a series about a family with a transgender parent, won the Globe for best comedy series last year.

"Mr. Robot," in which Rami Malek plays a psychologically troubled New York security engineer-turned-hacker, won the Globe for best television drama series.

Series creator Sam Esmail thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which votes on the awards, for honoring "Mr. Robot" despite what he suggested was an unlikely name for a hit.

- 'Mad Men' wins in last season -
In other television categories, Jon Hamm won his second Golden Globe for best actor in a drama for his portrayal of womanizing advertising executive Don Draper in "Mad Men," whose finale aired last year.

Hamm -- who also won an Emmy for the role -- saluted the "incredible ride" of the show and thanked "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner, "who wrote this horrible person all the way through to the end."

For actresses in the drama category, Taraji P. Henson won the Golden Globe for her role in "Empire," which looks at the struggle inside the family behind a major hip-hop label.

Henson plays the rap mogul's ex-wife Cookie who is seeking to re-establish her position after serving 17 years in prison for selling crack.

Henson said she was surprised she won for "Empire" and not for previous roles in the films "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" or the remake of "The Karate Kid."

"Who knew that playing an ex-convict would take me all around the globe?" she said.

"Okay -- so the world loves real. Thank you."

- Lady Gaga wins as actress -
Rachel Bloom won for best actress in a musical or comedy series for "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend."

An ecstatic Bloom hailed network The CW, a joint venture between CBS and Warner Brothers, for agreeing to put a musical comedy on network television.

"We almost didn't have a show! We made a pilot for another network and they rejected it, and we sent the pilot to every other network in Hollywood and we got six rejections in one day," she said.

Other television winners included the pop star Lady Gaga for her role in "American Horror Story: Hotel," where she plays a centenarian blood-sucker who lives in a haunted Los Angeles hotel.

Lady Gaga -- shunning her trademark sensational outfits for an elegant black evening gown by Versace and a Marilyn Monroe-esque hairdo -- shed tears as she won the award for best actress in a made-for-television limited series or movie.

"I wanted to be an actress before I wanted to be a singer, but music worked out first," she said.

Born as Stefani Germanotta, Lady Gaga struggled in New York's art scene before becoming an international sensation starting with her 2008 debut album "The Fame," full of synthpop anthems and raw sexuality.
Source: AFP