Golden Globes

Often seen as a precursor to who’ll receive an Oscar, this annual event hands out awards to actors, directors, and other artists in all kinds of entertainment—film, television, domestic, and foreign. Members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association vote for the favourites and even though the group isn’t very big, it gets lots of  attention with this glamorous festival of top names and talent. Designed to be more relaxed than the high-stakes Oscars, the Golden Globes let celebrities and stars sit at round tables (complete with dinner and bottles of bubbly) and speeches can be a bit more fun and unrehearsed. And here’s a nice aside that is not touted much: the awards show generates millions of dollars for the non-profit associations. More than $15 million has been donated to entertainment-related charities and scholarships.