The Golden Globes controversy: Why did many actors boycott last year’s awards?
Golden Globes have faced plenty of backlash for a variety of controversies and scandals. Here is everything you need to know
The annual Golden Globes, which fete the best in film and TV across the past year, are one of the world’s most well-known red-carpet events. Founded in 1944, the awards ceremony run by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has faced its fair share of controversy that boils down to one main issue: diversity.
An article by the Los Angeles Times in 2021 revealed that the organizers behind the awards had no black journalists among their 87 members and included claims of inappropriate “freebies”. The exposé also questioned the ethics of close relationships between the HFPA and film studios that may impact the selection of Golden Globe nominees and winners, adding corruption, racism, and snubbing to the equation.
Following the news, several high-profile figures were vocal about their disapproval, with actors like Tom Cruise and Scarlett Johansson boycotting the event and urging others to do so. The Mission Impossible actor even returned the three awards he had received to make a stronger stance.
Related:
Along with Cruise, the NBC channel, which aired the awards for several years, refused to do so in 2022. In a statement, they said, “We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform. However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right. As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes”.
What did they do about it?
In March 2021, after hiring a new strategic diversity advisor, the HFPA vowed that at least 13 percent of its membership would be Black. Shortly after, however, sources reported that HFPA member and former eight-term president Philip Berk had sent an email referring to Black Lives Matter as a “racist hate movement”. Berk and other members of the organization were expelled.
The 2022 Awards ceremony still took place, but not in the format we were used to.
Will the Golden Globes be held this year?
The 2023 Golden Globes ceremony is set to take place on Tuesday, January 10 at 8 p.m. E.T., and is set to air on NBC. The ceremony will return to its usual home of the Beverly Hilton hotel, with comedian Jerrod Carmichael handling hosting for this year’s broadcast.