It was coveted, sought after and jammed full of envy—it was after all, the Golden Globes, the lead-up to Hollywood’s night of nights, the Oscars.
Once upon a time, A-listers like Tom Cruise and Malibu’s Jane Seymour and her hubby James (for the Johnny Cash flick “Walk the Line”) posed with pride for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Golden Globe Awards.
Now, the Globes are in jeopardy. Canceling them is almost like canceling the Academy Awards, Hollywood’s top prize.
Because of its relaxed atmosphere, it has been called has been called “Hollywood’s Party of the Year, but NBC recently announced that it scrapped the 2022 awards broadcast due to a lack of diversity.
According to one report, the influential organization has no Black members.
In the meantime, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association kicked off a series of sweeping reforms. The association is connected with some of the industry’s biggest power players including Netflix, Amazon Studios, Warner Bros. and HBO. They all reportedly said that that will not work until “meaningful changes are enacted.”
The show has become a Hollywood tradition, airing since 1996 and has become one of the most festive and prestigious celebrations in the film and television biz.
The foreign press corps goes back some 80 years. To counter the controversy, the press association says it is committed to “meaningful reform.” NBC execs said the network is giving the association time to make the needed changes. The news sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, upsetting the entire awards line up.
In response, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association responded in a statement: “We invite our partners in the industry to the table to work with us on the systemic reform that is long overdue, both in our organization as well as within the industry at large.” As for the change, the organization added, “regardless of the next air date of the Golden Globes, implementing transformational changes as quickly, and as thoughtfully as possible remains a top priority.”
As Times Up said, “This is a defining moment for Hollywood. Today, we have the opportunity to recognize that by speaking up against one powerful but deeply flawed awards system, we can begin to reimagine a more equitable industry.”
But all hope is not lost. NBC says it will give the Globes a year to make changes and they may return in ’23. Stay tuned.