Embroiled in a stubborn controversy and boycotted by the entertainment industry, the organizers of the Golden Globes have decided to keep their awards ceremony scheduled for Sunday. But it will have neither an audience nor a television broadcast. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which is the jury for these awards, has been the target for months of accusations of racism, sexism, harassment and corruption.
The Golden Globes gala night traditionally opened the film awards season and was catered for by Hollywood’s top notch. But this year, the stars are absent subscribers and the NBC television channel has given up broadcasting the ceremony.
No intended audience
This will not prevent the HFPA from proceeding as if nothing had happened to the presentation of its awards, Sunday in the usual Beverly Hills Hotel, to highlight “the philanthropic works” of the association. “Over the past twenty-five years, the HFPA has donated more than $ 50 million” to various charities, the organizers said in a statement.
No public is expected for this 79th edition of the Golden Globes, adds the association, citing the health situation and the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. Belfast, by Kenneth Branagh, and The Power of the Dog, by Jane Campion, are at the top of the nominations this year.
The future of the Golden Globes looks uncertain. More than a hundred publicists wrote to the HFPA last March asking it to put an end to “discriminatory and unprofessional behavior, ethical breaches and accusations of corruption”.
Improve the representation of minorities
Amid the scandal, the organization quickly announced a series of reforms, including an unprecedented recruitment of new members to improve the representation of minorities within it. But stars like Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo have publicly denounced the reforms deemed insufficient, while Tom Cruise returned the organization to its three Golden Globes in protest.
Major studios like Warner Bros, Netflix and Amazon have made it known that they will no longer work with the HFPA until significant changes are implemented.