The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), bogged down by controversy but not entirely mired by it, will make the show go on — without a telecast partner. Nominees for the 79th annual Golden Globe Awards will be announced bright and early on Monday, Dec. 13 at 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET from the Beverly Hilton in California. The film and TV talent nods will be livestreamed at goldenglobes.com and on the Golden Globes YouTube channel.
Last week, HFPA president Helen Hoehne invited celebrities to participate in the virtual event, but it is unclear which, if any, stars have accepted.
Winners are TBD until the ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, and the HFPA has thus far kept mum on show details, but, Hoehne did write in a letter obtained by Variety that the Globes special will focus on the group’s philanthropic efforts, which include a complete overhaul of its bylaws in the last eight months and implementing changes to address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, among other concerns.
Earlier this year (and just before the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards), the HFPA came under public scrutiny over its racially homogenous makeup, as well as the lavish network and studio gifts, trips and events the cohort would accept as a ploy to visit sets or attend press conferences. Soon after the news was revealed in a bombshell Los Angeles Times investigation, industry giants vowed to boycott the show, Tom Cruise returned three of his Globes trophies, more than 100 public relations firms threatened to cut off access to their clients and NBC pulled the plug on the network’s planned telecast of the ceremony.
In an interview with Variety on Dec. 2, the HFPA’s new chief diversity officer, Neil Phillips, reiterated the org’s commitment to a radical restructuring of its ethics and membership, from top to bottom.
“The danger is expecting there to be a sort of immediate fix,” Phillips said. “If the HFPA is seen giving a certain number of awards to talent of color, creatives of color, then the HFPA is fixed. It just doesn’t work that way. The notion of thinking that this is going to be some quick fix as a result of what awards are handed out in the coming weeks, that’s not what we should be looking for.”
To democratize the Globes nominations process further, submissions were not required for award consideration this year, but the HFPA did accommodate talent that requested their content to be considered only for specific categories. Moreover, the HFPA inducted 21 new members to the group, and gave them eligibility to vote. Currently, the HFPA has 105 members.
