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The Awards We'll All Be Handing Out In Our Minds At The 2018 Golden Globes

And the award for "calling out injustice" goes to ...
Jessica Chastain at the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala, Jan. 2, 2018.
Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
Jessica Chastain at the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala, Jan. 2, 2018.

What a year 2017 was for Hollywood.

And, you know, for women.

After sexual assault and harassment allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein surfaced in October β€” with more than 70 women having since accused the former movie mogul of everything from rape to blacklisting them after they refused his advances β€” dozens and dozens of powerful men in the entertainment industry, restaurant industry, and politics have been similarly accused.

The frank conversation around harassment and assault sparked the viral #MeToo hashtag (and the #MeTooNowWhat and #HowIWillChange campaigns that followed), inspired Canadian Press to name "sexual harassment" the 2017 News Story of the Year and dictionary.com to name "complicit" the word of the year, and there's even a new website that will tell you if anyone accused of sexual assault or harassment has worked on your favourite movie (because, honestly, sometimes it feels like there's no one left).

Given all the ugliness that's been unveiled, it might seem like an odd time to strut a bunch of celebrities down a red carpet and hand out awards. But the show must go on, as they say, and award season kicks off Jan. 7 with the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards.

While the awards will honour the best of film and television (and likely inspire a few water cooler moments), we think there are a number of other celebrity achievements worthy of our accolades.

So, here's our unofficial list of the awards we'll all be handing out in our minds at the 2018 Golden Globes.

Dame Judi Dench: For immediately supporting victims

Dame Judi Dench attends the 'Murder On The Orient Express' World Premiere at Royal Albert Hall on Nov. 2, 2017.
Mike Marsland via Getty Images
Dame Judi Dench attends the 'Murder On The Orient Express' World Premiere at Royal Albert Hall on Nov. 2, 2017.

IRL, Dench is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) for her role in "Victoria and Abdul." But even more award-worthy was her early support for the alleged victims of Weinstein.

In early October, Dench told Newsweek she was "horrified" and "completely unaware" of the allegations against Weinstein, and offered her "wholehearted support" to those who spoke out about him. She was one of the first to do so.

Brava!

Tom Hanks: For being one of the good ones

Tom Hanks at the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Vivien Killilea via Getty Images
Tom Hanks at the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Tom Hanks has played a heart-warming good guy in basically every film he's ever made, and he'd break our hearts if he were anything less in real life. While male celebrities have been accused of misdeeds left, right, and centre, Hanks β€” who has been called "Hollywood's most decent fella" by the New York Times β€” has thrown his support behind the victims of sexual assault.

He also called Weinstein "a bit of an ass" back in October, which we think is worthy of an award even greater than the one he's nominated for (Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture: Drama, for his role in "The Post," ftr).

Jessica Chastain: For refusing to "calm down"

Jessica Chastain at the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala.
Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
Jessica Chastain at the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala.

Hey, you know what women love? Being told to calm down. By men. Yeahhh ... Jessica Chastain was having none of it, either.

Chastain β€” who is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture: Drama for her role in "Molly's Game" β€” has been one of the more vocal actresses in the wake of the allegations that have rocked Hollywood. "I'm going to speak my mind about any injustice that I see. I'm not afraid of anything in terms of that," she told The Daily Beast.

And when she got an email from another actor who allegedly told her to "calm down" and stop tweeting so much, Chastain was vocal about that, too. "I found that heartbreaking and can only think he didn't understand the movement that was happening," she told the "Graham Norton Show," according to People.

*applauds*

Greta Gerwig: For calling out power imbalances

Greta Gerwig at Kaufman Music Center on Jan. 4, 2018.
Dia Dipasupil via Getty Images
Greta Gerwig at Kaufman Music Center on Jan. 4, 2018.

Greta Gerwig, who is nominated for Best Screenplay for "Ladybird," has been a fervent supporter of women in film. In the wake of the Weinstein scandal, Gerwig told CBC that in order to strike out gender power imbalances it's necessary to create a space where every person making a film feels valued.

"It's very easy to create a set where the actors count. Or the [director of photography] counts or the director counts," Gerwig told CBC.

"I feel like that's really, to me, where the solution is to so much of this, is passing the torch to these young, diverse filmmakers, both male and female, but who are able to occupy power within, and not power over, " she said.

We're hopeful "Ladybird" will snag a Golden Globe, but Gerwig should be applauded regardless.

Mary J. Blige: For admitting she has "secrets" she's not ready to share

Mary J. Blige at the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala.
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Mary J. Blige at the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala.

Coming forward about your own experiences of sexual assault and harassment is undoubtedly difficult and brave, but many victims aren't ready to share, and Mary J. Blige reminded us that these people are just as powerful.

Blige, who is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture for her role in "Mudbound," said she championed all those who have spoken out about sexual assault and harassment.

"I'm happy for you, and I'm proud of you because, once and for all, you're free from a secret that made you hide and hang your head low and made you feel trapped," she told Billboard on Nov. 30.

"I understand because there's secrets and things that I've held onto for a very long time β€” and still holdin' onto β€” and I just can't come out and say anything about them."

Yep, that's definitely award-worthy in our books.

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