Golden Globes 2026: Wagner Moura makes history with his Best Drama Actor award win at the prestigious award function

Wagner Moura won the Best Drama Actor award at the 2016 Golden Globes and became the first Brazilian to win in this category at the esteemed awards. His historic win is for his role in the film ‘The Secret Agent.’

Historic win for Brazilian cinema

On Sunday, January 11, Moura took home the award for Best Film Drama Actor for his role in the film 'The Secret Agent’. He was nominated for the award along with some strong contenders like Michael B. Jordan ('Sinners'), Joel Edgerton ('Train Dreams'), Dwayne Johnson ('The Smashing Machine'), Jeremy Allen White ('Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere'), and Oscar Isaac ('Frankenstein').




"'The Secret Agent' is a film about memory, or the lack of memory, and generational trauma. I think that if trauma can be passed along generations, values can too. So this is to the ones that are sticking with their values in difficult moments," Moura said during his acceptance speech, held at the Beverly Hilton, Los Angeles.

All about ‘The Secret Agent’

A Portuguese-language film, ‘The Secret Agent,’ is set in Brazil in 1977, when the military ruled. The film is directed by Kleber Mendonca Filho. Moura plays the role of a tech expert and political dissident in the film. His character tries to escape persecution while standing up against an oppressive system.

Apart from the Best Drama Actor, ‘The Secret Agent’ also earned many nominations at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards. The film was nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Foreign Language Film. Interestingly, it is also the first film from Brazil to be nominated for Best Motion Picture, Drama.

Prior to the Golden Globes, ‘The Secret Agent’ was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it earned applause. Moura had won the Best Actor award at Cannes, while the director won Best Director. The film also won the Art House Cinema Award and the FIPRESCI Prize.