GOLDEN GLOBES
Why was there no televised Golden Globes ceremony in 2022?
The Golden Globes were back to being hosted in person last year after the decision to cancel the ceremony for the previous edition.
As we build up to the 2024 Golden Globes we reflect on what happened a couple of year’s ago when there was a one-year hiatus with no in-person ceremony.
What happened with the 2022 Golden Globes?
While the message from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) in 2022 was that the decision to cancel the ceremony was made because of concerns over the spread of covid-19, others pointed to a boycott by top actors, producers, and others involved in film and TV. Compounding the problems for the HFPA was that NBC, the network that had traditionally carried the event live, pulled out in solidarity with the boycott.
The HFPA is made up of journalists who cover the entertainment industry, and in 2021 it became public that no Black correspondents had been added to the organization’s membership since 2002. Additionally, investigations found that the practices for being nominated for membership only perpetuated exclusion. Since the boycott, the organization has worked to expand its membership, focusing on bringing in writers from marginalized backgrounds.
Back in September 2022, the Chairman of NBC Universal, Frances Berwick, said that the network “recognize[s] the HFPA’s commitment to ongoing change and look forward to welcoming back the Golden Globes to NBC for its landmark 80th Anniversary in January 2023.” The HFPA has made its appreciation clear to the network, with President Helen Hoehe affirming that the organization “remains committed to important changes and supporting programs that prioritize diversity, inclusion, and transparency.”
HFPA targeted increased diversity of membership
A press release by HFPA said it had introduced one-hundred-and-three voters to its “ranks,” with some “international-based voters” being added for the first time. At the start of 2023, the body’s membership represented sixty-two countries.
Combined with the current HFPA membership, the total Golden Globe Awards voting body is now 52% female, 51.5% racially and ethnically diverse, with 19.5% Latinx, 12% Asian, 10% Black and 10% Middle Eastern.
Many of these changes had been able to take place because the way in which new members were selected had been completely overhauled. Before, nominees needed to receive endorsements from two existing members. Since the membership lacked diversity across many demographic characteristics, new members tended to reflect those that nominated them.
Where is the HFPA now?
On 12 June 2023, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association declared its dissolution. The rights associated with the Golden Globes were acquired by Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge Industries. The funds from this sale were allocated to a newly established non-profit organization, dedicated to maintaining the HFPA’s legacy of philanthropy.