The Golden Globes is one of the most revered awards shows in Hollywood with a history that goes back to 1944.
Recognizing the best in movies and TV, the Globes are run by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), a non-profit organization that consists of a small group of journalists (around 87 members), whose coverage of the industry is read or seen predominantly outside of the US.
Currently, the Globes are shown in 167 countries and at its height was the third highest-rated award show; only behind the Oscars and Grammys.
But recently the HFPA has been thrust into damage control following a Los Angeles Times exposé that uncovered financial and ethical failures by the organization. It revealed that the organization has a “culture of corruption”. Then a catastrophic blow, NBC announced Monday it will not air the Globes in 2022.
Here’s why the Golden Globe is at risk of permanent cancellation…
1. Bribery
The most egregious part of the story highlighted how, in 2019, over 30 HFPA members flew to France to visit the set of Netflix’s Emily in Paris. The producers of the show treated the HFPA members to a two-night stay at the five-star Peninsula Paris hotel. The HFPA members also had lunch at the Musée des Arts Forains, a private museum where the show was shooting.
Despite the first season of Emily in Paris being cliche and terrible, the show received two Globes nominations this year.
2. Racism
The Times story also revealed that the HFPA has no Black members. The organization had not even inducted one in nearly two decades. This fueled more criticism of the HFPA for its obvious omission of Black-led TV shows and movies in 2021’s Globe nominations; including I May Destroy You and Da 5 Bloods. What made it worse was awarding white mediocrity like Emily in Paris.
Phil Berk, an HFPA member and former eight-time president, had also sent out an email to the organization’s staff and general counsel criticizing Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors and calling BLM a “racist hate movement.”
3. The entertainment industry is already cutting ties
The internal issues with the HFPA have led to major studios like Netflix, Amazon, and WarnerMedia boycotting the Globes. Stars like Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson are also calling for change.
Netflix head Ted Sarandos told the HFPA it was “stopping any activities” with the organization. Sarandos sent a letter to the HFPA board explaining that Netflix felt its recent efforts at improving diversity wasn’t enough. Reese Witherspoon and Shonda Rhimes supported Netflix’s decision.
Soon after the Netflix move, Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke announced that it would stop working with the HFPA and the Globes. WarnerMedia would also add its name days later to the studios boycotting the group.
After decades of airing the awards show, NBC announced it would not air it next year. Time will tell if the boycotting will last and if the Golden Globes will change and make amends.
