Ricky Gervais thanked the transgender community for his Golden Globe — at least, presenter Wanda Sykes did on his behalf.
At the Hollywood awards ceremony Sunday, Sykes presented in the category of Best Standup Comedy on Television. While reviewing the nominees, Sykes, noting Gervais's absence, foretold how his win would go down. "If you win, I get to accept the award on your behalf. You're going to thank God and the trans community," Sykes promised.
When Gervais did indeed win, Sykes made good on her word. "He would like to thank God and the trans community," Sykes quipped to laughter from the audience.
Gervais was nominated for his Netflix comedy special Mortality. And he was recently asked by a BBC interviewer about his long history of anti-trans jokes; the interviewer noted that he believed Gervais had "doubled down" on his "anti-woke" crusade.
Ricky Gervais has won the Golden Globe for Best Stand-Up Comedy Performance.
Gervais was not in attendance, so Wanda Sykes accepted on his behalf and thanked "God and the trans community"pic.twitter.com/0290I5d7zH
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) January 12, 2026
"That’s probably true, but that’s because I think I’m right," Gervais responded. The interviewer asked him to clarify what he felt he was right about, to which he said, "I have a right to talk about those things. And there are jokes I certainly stand by. I can’t look back and say, ‘Oh, sorry about that, I said that when I was only 50.’” He continued, "As you do get more progressive, maybe, and milder and change, what usually happens is, the things you used to do look worse."
Previously Gervais hosted the Golden Globes five times — but he told BBC Radio 4’s This Cultural Life he would likely miss this year's ceremony. "I’m probably not going to the Golden Globes … It’s too far to go. It takes a lot to get me off the couch with my cat and my girlfriend watching Netflix. I love the work, I love writing, I love creating, I love stand-up, but all the other stuff I could really do without."
Meanwhile, Sykes delivered some of the most memorable lines of the evening. She opened her time on the stage by thanking the Golden Globes for inviting her to be a presenter, because "you know that there's some people pissed off that a queer Black woman is up here doing the job for two mediocre white guys."
Watch the full segment ahead.
