When the editorial board of The Onion converged to select its Walton Goggins Of The Year for 2020, the room, composed of dignitaries, professors, and world leaders, was vexed. The American public had just endured a heated presidential election, a deadly international pandemic, and the release of CBS’s hit series The Unicorn, leaving members of the selection committee not just conflicted over this defining honor, but like the country, divided more than ever.
Following several sleepless nights filled with impassioned and sometimes heated verbal arguments, The Onion’s editorial board has named the 2020 Walton Goggins of the year none other than the incomparable Walton Goggins.
At the end of a challenging, if not brutal 2020, the board believes that no single individual shines a light of hope for the past, present, and future of Walton Goggins more than Mr. Walton Goggins, known for his pioneering roles in Justified, Daddy’s Home 2, and in his greatest role as himself, Walton Goggins. In the most competitive set of Walton Goggins Of The Year finalists to date, the 49-year-old Goggins beat out many highly qualified nominees, including Justin Trudeau, Greta Thunberg, Anthony Fauci, and a 14-year-old Walton Goggins from Tucson, AZ.
Goggins is a 2011 nominee for a Primetime Emmy, a 2018 recipient of a Critics Choice Award for best supporting actor in a comedy series, and the 2019 winner of the Winston Giggins award.
As in past years, The Onion editorial board does not take its selection of 2020 Walton Goggins Of The Year award lightly. Nearly three decades ago, The Onion drew harsh criticism for selecting its 1979 Walton Goggins Of The Year to be Alabama resident and steel mill worker Ernesto Diaz, despite the 78-year-old fitting every stated criteria. And just one year ago, readers were slow to see the beauty and symbolism of naming the 2019 Walton Goggins to be “You, The Reader,” despite it being a highly moving choice.
But the editorial board stands by the decision to reward Walton Goggins’ pioneering work in Walton Goggins, regardless of the blow-back, snide remarks, and death threats it will inevitably receive. For his work, Goggins will receive a $500 Chili’s gift card and a promotional code for $20 off at The Onion store.