Los Angeles (AFP) - J.K. Simmons won the first award handed out at the Golden Globes Sunday, the best supporting film actor prize for his turn as a brutal music teacher in "Whiplash."
Simmons beat Robert Duvall ("The Judge"), Ethan Hawke ("Boyhood"), Edward Norton ("Birdman") and Mark Ruffalo ("Foxcatcher").
Simmons paid tribute to co-star Miles Teller, calling him "a young actor of such maturity and brilliance that he inspired me every day to want to scream at him and hit him in the face."
"Whiplash" tells the story of a young jazz drummer (Teller) enrolled at a music conservatory, where he is mentored by an extremely demanding instructor (Simmons).