Shaheer Ahmed
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which organises the Golden Globes, came under fire in 2021 for operating with dubious ethics procedures and having no Black members. As a result, actors, directors, and movie companies mostly boycotted the ceremony this year. The venerable network NBC decided not to show the awards this year.
Golden Globes, the industry’s highest film honours, often bring millions of TV viewers to a celebrity-studded red carpet and champagne-fueled dinner that provides a glamorous yet relaxed contrast to the Academy Awards.
In the past, winning a Globe gave movies that were up for Oscars a boost. The relevance is less obvious this year because so few famous people have announced their nominations.
Critics had protested to the HFPA’s lack of Black members and questioned whether the selection of nominations and winners was impacted by the association with Hollywood studios. Tom Cruise gave back the three Golden Globes awards he had received in May.
The HFPA responded by adding 21 new members, six of whom are Black, banning gifts and favors, and implementing diversity and sexual harassment training. The group now has 105 members and plans to expand this year.
“We are on a journey of change and we’re not going to rest,” HFPA President Helen Hoehne said in a statement on Sunday.
At the ceremony, the HFPA played a video of actress Jamie Lee Curtis praising the group for its support of charities that back creators, education, film preservation and other causes.
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association starting in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of the HFPA
