The Golden Globes has a problem with diversity.
With Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony rapidly approaching, preparations for the annual show would normally be at a fever pitch. Stars would be fitting themselves for gowns and tuxedos and practicing their red carpet sound bites, while Hollywood would be buzzing with questions about who will take home the prizes.
Instead, with the pandemic forcing the 78th Golden Globes to be held virtually, the famously loose and star-packed show’s glitz and glamour will be dampened. And in the wake of a Los Angeles Times investigation that raised fresh questions about the 87-member Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which doles out the awards, some believe the very future of the Globes could be in jeopardy if the organization doesn’t undertake reforms.
While the HFPA has worked to burnish its image in recent years, largely through increased charitable donations, Times reporting revealed the group is still struggling to shake its reputation that the voters are easily swayed by high-priced junkets in exotic locales and cozy relationships with studios, networks and A-listers. Even as the HFPA fended off allegations brought in an antitrust lawsuit by Norwegian journalist Kjersti Flaa, some of the group’s own members have raised mounting criticisms of its alleged ethical lapses and self-dealing. The HFPA has said the allegations are unproven and “simply repeat old tropes” about the organization. (Flaa’s suit was dismissed by a federal judge in November. An amended motion is pending.)
The Times investigation also highlighted the fact that the group currently has no Black members, further fueling criticism over this year’s Globes picks, which didn’t include any of this year’s Black-led Oscar contenders, such as “Da 5 Bloods,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Judas and the Black Messiah” and “One Night in Miami,” in nominations for the group’s best picture award.
In a statement to the Times on Thursday, an HFPA representative said, “We are fully committed to ensuring our membership is reflective of the communities around the world who love film, TV and the artists inspiring and educating them. We understand that we need to bring in Black members, as well as members from other underrepresented backgrounds, and we will immediately work to implement an action plan to achieve these goals as soon as possible.”
The absence of any Black members in a group that votes on one of the industry’s most high-profile awards has drawn widespread attention on social media and elsewhere.
Director Ava DuVernay, a Golden Globe nominee for “Selma,” took to Twitter in response to a headline in the Hollywood Reporter that read “L.A. Times Reveals HFPA Has Zero Black Members,” writing, “Reveals? As in, people are acting like this isn’t already widely known? For YEARS?”
“One Night in Miami” director Regina King, who this year became the first Black woman since DuVernay to receive a Globes directing nod, responded with a GIF of the rapper Drake pointing and smiling.
An HFPA representative said the group welcomes all journalists from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds based in Southern California who write for international media to apply, noting the membership is majority female and that more than 35 percent is from non-European countries. Further, the HFPA has not ruled out changing its rules to widen the pool of applicants.
In 2013, the HFPA rejected a Black applicant, British-based Samantha Ofole-Prince, a decision that was the subject of some controversy within the group, according to the Wrap. In an interview soon after, thenHFPA President Theo Kingma was asked about the group’s lack of Black members, telling the Wrap, “There is nobody (Black) because they can’t afford to come and live here. I’ve been a member for 21 years, and I can promise you I’ve never ever heard anything racial.”
In an interview on Thursday, Kingma said he was working to address the absence of Black members in the voting body. “It is something that we should give a serious look at; times have changed, but sadly our bylaws don’t change as quickly,” he said, noting it takes two-thirds of the membership to approve changes.
In regards to Ofole-Prince, Kingma said, “Sadly, she didn’t fulfill the (bylaws) requirements. … Her publications paid her less than European publications, and she couldn’t make a living here, which was more the reason to accept her. HFPA access would have really helped her.”
It is unclear to what extent the renewed criticisms will impact the telecast. The show, which airs on NBC, is expected to highlight the HFPA’s charitable work, which included more than $5 million in grants last year. The hunger relief nonprofit Feeding America is a “philanthropic partner” on this year’s show, and a number of frontline and essential workers as well as food bank workers have been invited by the HFPA to attend the ceremony.
A representative for NBCUniversal, which paid the HFPA $27.4 million in licensing fees last fiscal year, declined to comment for this story, as did Dick Clark Productions, which partners with the HFPA in producing the show.
A person at NBCUniversal familiar with the matter but not authorized to comment publicly said the network supports the HFPA’s plan of action on diversity. The person also said NBCUniversal expects any supplier of programming to conduct themselves with integrity and act within the law and that the company has no reason to believe the HFPA has acted illegally or unethically in any way.
Despite the renewed controversy swirling around the HFPA, which follows a long history of scandals the group has weathered, the Globes continue to play a critical role in awards season, and millions of dollars are devoted by the studios every year trying to leverage the awards as a marketing tool for Oscar hopefuls. As one longtime film publicist said, “Whether it’s film or TV, it’s really hard for there to be sophisticated adult fare without awards. You need as much as you can get.”