(CNN) A lady bird, a marvelous Mrs., a heroic handmaid, a Missouri mom, and a group of women caught up in some big little lies all took home awards at a Golden Globes ceremony that highlighted and was ruled by strong female characters.

Fitting, of course.

On the heels of #MeToo and amidst calls for declaring Time's Up on a culture of silence, the Hollywood Foreign Press awarded major honors to TV shows and films about the female experience -- and not just in categories meant to honor female performers.

Film

"Lady Bird," a coming-of-age story by first-time director Greta Gerwig, took home the award for best motion picture -- musical or comedy.

Starring Saoirse Ronan, who also won an award for best actress in a musical or comedy, the story is about a independent-minded young woman eager to spread her wings beyond the borders of her hometown of Sacramento, California. The intimate story also highlights the complex nature of mother-daughter relationships.

"I think that it's inevitable that those stories won't get told if you don't have female creators," Gerwig told CNN earlier this year of her film. "But I do think that it's important to tell these stories because on a very basic level, as Virginia Woolf said, 'Men don't know what women do when they're not there.' So we need to tell the stories of what we're doing when they're not there. Otherwise, they will go completely undocumented."

Greta Gerwig accepts the award for best picture -- comedy or musical for 'Lady Bird'

Gerwig was notably shut out of the best director category when nominations were first announced back in December, a fact that presenter Natalie Portman didn't let slide when she presented the award on Sunday.

"And here are the all-male nominees," she said, before they were named.

The night's top honor -- best drama -- went to "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," a story about a mother's tireless effort to see someone brought to justice for the rape and murder of her daughter. Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell won individual honors for the film as well.

Television

The 2017 Emmy Awards gave major honors to "The Handmaid's Tale" -- the first streaming service series to receive the best drama Emmy -- and "Big Little Lies" back in September and both shows saw repeat success at the Globes.

"The Handmaid's Tale" is based on Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel about a woman (Elisabeth Moss) who rebels against the ideals of an oppressive regime. The series won best drama series and Moss won the best actress in a drama series award.

Elisabeth Moss won the Golden Globe Award for best performance by an actress in a TV drama.

"Big Little Lies" stars Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley and Zoe Kravitz as mothers in Monterey, California whose lives aren't as simple as they appear to the outside world.

"Big Little Lies" won an award for best limited series. Kidman, Dern and Alexander Skarsgard also won individual honors.

Amazon's "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" was considered by some a surprise winner of the night.

It was quietly released back in November but the show, from "Gilmore Girls" creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, enjoyed modest buzz and reviews.

The period dramedy is about a housewife who takes up stand-up comedy in the aftermath of a major upheaval in her personal life.

Star Rachel Brosnahan also won the best actress in a comedy award.

"This is a story about a bold and brilliant and complicated woman and I'm endlessly proud to be a part of it," Brosnahan said. "But there are so many women's stories out there that still need and deserve to be told. So as we enter this new year, please let's continue to hold each other accountable and invest in and make and champion these stories."