Sandra Oh celebrates 'a moment of change' for diversity at Golden Globes

Sandra Oh has hailed the diversity at this year's Golden Globe Awards as she became the first woman of Asian descent ever to host the show.

In an opening monologue she praised the "faces of change" she saw in Hollywood, saying the "moment is real".

She went on to win the award for Best Actress in a TV Drama, the first Asian woman to do so in almost 40 years.

In a heartfelt acceptance speech, the Canadian-Korean thanked her parents in Korean and bowed to them.

Asians have been celebrating her win on social media as a landmark moment for Asian representation in Hollywood.

"I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight because I wanted... to look out onto this audience and witness this moment of change," said Oh in her opening monologue.

"Next year could be different, but right now this moment is real. Because I see you... all these faces of change. And now so will everyone else."

After winning her award she thanked her parents, who were watching in the audience, in Korean, saying "Mum, dad... I love you" - and topped it off by bowing to them.

Oh also managed to fit in a dig at the whitewashing accusations levelled against Hollywood, while talking about the blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians.

"It is the first studio film with an Asian-American lead since Ghost in the Shell and Aloha," she said. Both films were criticised for casting white female leads to play Asian and Hawaiian characters.

Her roast prompted the lead of "Aloha", Emma Stone, to shout "I'm sorry!" across the room.

But Oh wasn't the only win for diversity in Hollywood at the awards.

Darren Criss, who won Best Actor in a Limited Series, gave a shout out to his Filipino mother in his acceptance speech.

"This has been a marvellous year for representation... I am so enormously proud to be a teeny tiny part of that as a son of a firecracker Filipino woman that dreamed of coming into this country," he said.

"Mom, I know you're watching this... I dedicate this to you."

Asian-American actress Constance Wu and her film Crazy Rich Asians were also nominated for awards this year - though both failed to win.

But that didn't matter to some people.

And it wasn't only a win for ethnic diversity - but also a night for women.

Actress Regina King, who won best supporting actress in a motion picture for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk, pledged that everything she would produce in the next two years would be "50% women".

"I challenge you to challenge yourself and stand with us in solidarity," she said in her acceptance speech.