It was a royal launch this week as the Golden Globes saluted Helen Mirren (who’s played a queen in several films) and Jessica Parker (who played a princess on Broadway) in the presence of Hollywood royalty, including Carol Burnett, at the Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills.

The evening marked the first Golden Eve, which was taped for airing on CBS Jan. 8. As Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne said in her welcoming remarks, last year’s event was so successful that “we’re starting a new tradition” and she thanked guests “for being part of our memorable program.” Last year marked the first time that the special honorees got an evening of their own, rather than being included in the Golden Globes ceremony. This year, the event got a title and a timeslot as a CBS special show, marking part of Golden Week, leading up to the ceremony.

Parker this week became the sixth person to receive the Carol Burnett Award, while Mirren is the 71st to receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

Among those offering tributes to Parker were Ted Danson (last year’s Burnett winner), who said his wife Mary Steenburgen calls Burnett “the magic one.” Also offering praise were Parker’s husband Matthew Broderick, Colman Domingo and Kristin Davis.

Mirren was feted by Viola Davis (last year’s DeMille honoree), Tessa Thompson (who hailed her as a role model), husband Taylor Hackford, and costar Harrison Ford, who deadpanned that Mirren “can play a badass because she IS a badass.”

Film clips offered moments from each woman’s career, as well as past Burnett and DeMille honorees. The evening climaxed when each actress gave a heartfelt speech thanking the Golden Globes and co-workers/colleagues over the years.

The evening saw 270 guests assemble for the dinner, which was catered by Giorgio Baldi, with a menu that offered the choice of fish, steak or vegetarian risotto. A team had erected a tent that transformed the Hilton Garden into a remarkable and elegant restaurant. Diners were also provided with a Cosmopolitan in honor of Parker’s “Sex and the City,” which was created in 1998 by Darren Star and aired on HBO for 94 episodes, followed by two bigscreen films and a sequel series, 2021-2025.

The Golden Globes ceremony will air live Jan. 11 on CBS  (8-11 PM, live ET/5-8 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network, and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. Paramount+ (Premium plan subscribers will have access to stream live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on-demand. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live, but will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs.)

Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner of White Cherry Entertainment will return as executive producing showrunners for the 83rd Annual Golden Globes. Dick Clark Productions will plan, host and produce the show, which has been viewed in more than 185 countries and territories worldwide. This year’s votes were again tabulated by KPMG, the U.S. audit, tax, and advisory firm.