Fighting to stay alive, the beleaguered Hollywood Foreign Press Association has elected a nearly 20-year veteran to lead the group into what may or may not be better days.
Helen Hoehne will be the next President of the HFPA, it was revealed today.
The elevation of the group’s VP to the top job of the 80-member-plus organization comes just under two weeks after the HFPA expanded its Board of Directors to 15 in the latest of a series of reform endeavors by the much-scorned group. That board — 12 active (internal) members and three Tba non-members (outside) — directly picked the new president to take over for Ali Sar.
Previously on the HFPA’s Board of Directors from 2012-19, frequent German TV contributor Hoehne is one of the current board members.
As the Golden Globes-presenting group hopes to find its way back into a Tinseltown power position, old-guarder Hoehne has her work cut...
Helen Hoehne will be the next President of the HFPA, it was revealed today.
The elevation of the group’s VP to the top job of the 80-member-plus organization comes just under two weeks after the HFPA expanded its Board of Directors to 15 in the latest of a series of reform endeavors by the much-scorned group. That board — 12 active (internal) members and three Tba non-members (outside) — directly picked the new president to take over for Ali Sar.
Previously on the HFPA’s Board of Directors from 2012-19, frequent German TV contributor Hoehne is one of the current board members.
As the Golden Globes-presenting group hopes to find its way back into a Tinseltown power position, old-guarder Hoehne has her work cut...
- 9/8/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has elected German journalist Helen Hoehne as its new president, the latest step in the org’s move to reform following controversies surrounding its operations. Hoehne, who previously served as vice president, will lead the HFPA’s recently announced expanded Board of Directors.
HFPA members voted for Hoehne as its new president directly from the new Board membership, revealed last week. The group of 12 members — five of whom have never served on the board — will soon be joined by three more outside non-members still to come, for a total of 15. Hoehne replaces Ali Sar, who had served as president of the HFPA since 2020, following the death of previous president Lorenzo Soria.
Hoehne is a native of Hamburg, has been a member of the HFPA since 2004. She served on the board of directors from 2012 to 2019 and was elected as VP in September 2020. Hoehne has written for various publications in Germany,...
HFPA members voted for Hoehne as its new president directly from the new Board membership, revealed last week. The group of 12 members — five of whom have never served on the board — will soon be joined by three more outside non-members still to come, for a total of 15. Hoehne replaces Ali Sar, who had served as president of the HFPA since 2020, following the death of previous president Lorenzo Soria.
Hoehne is a native of Hamburg, has been a member of the HFPA since 2004. She served on the board of directors from 2012 to 2019 and was elected as VP in September 2020. Hoehne has written for various publications in Germany,...
- 9/8/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has taken the latest step in its highly publicized restructure, saying Tuesday that it has elected a newly expanded board of directors that will eventually select a president and CEO of the embattled organization.
Among the raft of bylaw reforms ratified by the Golden Globe group includes requiring 15 total directors: 12 active (internal) members and the three non-members (outside).
Elected to the board today were Helen Hoehne, Gabriel Lerman, Sabrina Joshi, Yukiko Nakajima, Scott Orlin, Kirpi Uimonen, Henry Arnaud, Barbara de Oliveira Pinto, Barbara Gasser, Tina Johnk Christensen, Greet Ramaekers and Armando Gallo.
Lerman, Joshi, Arnaud, Gasser and Ramaekers are newcomers, having never before served. The new body will next select the three non-members.
The HFPA also elected a Credentials Committee: Michele Manelis, Barbaros Tapan and Alessandra Venezia. All are first-time board members; three more will be added.
The HFPA said all board and committee members...
Among the raft of bylaw reforms ratified by the Golden Globe group includes requiring 15 total directors: 12 active (internal) members and the three non-members (outside).
Elected to the board today were Helen Hoehne, Gabriel Lerman, Sabrina Joshi, Yukiko Nakajima, Scott Orlin, Kirpi Uimonen, Henry Arnaud, Barbara de Oliveira Pinto, Barbara Gasser, Tina Johnk Christensen, Greet Ramaekers and Armando Gallo.
Lerman, Joshi, Arnaud, Gasser and Ramaekers are newcomers, having never before served. The new body will next select the three non-members.
The HFPA also elected a Credentials Committee: Michele Manelis, Barbaros Tapan and Alessandra Venezia. All are first-time board members; three more will be added.
The HFPA said all board and committee members...
- 8/31/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has announced the election of its expanded board of directors, naming 12 members — five of whom have never served on the board — and is next set to select three more outside non-members, for a total of 15. Also next up, the HFPA will vote on a new president from within the board.
Tuesday’s announcement also included naming three members of the HFPA’s credentials committee, responsible for overseeing the ongoing reform plan to restructure the organization along the lines of accountability, ethics, and greater inclusion of the diversity of world journalism.
The new board comes following the HFPA’s ratification of its new set of bylaws approving reform measures, which included a requirement that the board of directors include three outside non-members.
“Our bylaw vote in early August was an important signal to the industry that we intend to keep our promises on reform,” said HFPA president Ali Sar.
Tuesday’s announcement also included naming three members of the HFPA’s credentials committee, responsible for overseeing the ongoing reform plan to restructure the organization along the lines of accountability, ethics, and greater inclusion of the diversity of world journalism.
The new board comes following the HFPA’s ratification of its new set of bylaws approving reform measures, which included a requirement that the board of directors include three outside non-members.
“Our bylaw vote in early August was an important signal to the industry that we intend to keep our promises on reform,” said HFPA president Ali Sar.
- 8/31/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has elected its new Board of Directors, which will include 15 total directors, with 12 active members and three non-members.
Members elected the 12 internal directors. They are: Helen Hoehne, Gabriel Lerman, Sabrina Joshi, Yukiko Nakajima, Scott Orlin, Kirpi Uimonen, Henry Arnaud, Barbara de Oliveira Pinto, Barbara Gasser, Tina Johnk Christensen, Greet Ramaekers and Armando Gallo.
Of the new members, five have never served on the Board before. The Board is now comprised of 2/3 women.
The Board will then select the three outside non-members, rounding out the total to 15.
The results come less than three weeks after the HFPA membership approved its new set of bylaws, which required the Board of Directors to include three outside non-members. All of the new board and committee members will undergo Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and leadership training, and later this week, the HFPA members will vote for a new President.
The...
Members elected the 12 internal directors. They are: Helen Hoehne, Gabriel Lerman, Sabrina Joshi, Yukiko Nakajima, Scott Orlin, Kirpi Uimonen, Henry Arnaud, Barbara de Oliveira Pinto, Barbara Gasser, Tina Johnk Christensen, Greet Ramaekers and Armando Gallo.
Of the new members, five have never served on the Board before. The Board is now comprised of 2/3 women.
The Board will then select the three outside non-members, rounding out the total to 15.
The results come less than three weeks after the HFPA membership approved its new set of bylaws, which required the Board of Directors to include three outside non-members. All of the new board and committee members will undergo Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and leadership training, and later this week, the HFPA members will vote for a new President.
The...
- 8/31/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
(Updated with NBC & dick clark production statements) The 2022 Golden Globes remain canceled, but the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is praying its latest set of self-described reforms can finally turn things around with Tinseltown.
“Three months ago, we made a promise to commit to transformational change and with this vote we kept the last and most significant promise in reimagining the HFPA and our role in the industry,” HFPA board president Ali Sar said Thursday after all the members’ vote to approve bylaw reforms ere tallied by Ernst & Young. “All of these promised reforms can serve as industry benchmarks and allow us to once again partner meaningfully with Hollywood moving forward.”
With top studios, publicist and talent still keeping the HFPA at arm’s length over its lack of diverse membership and long history of institutional and personal misconduct, that frayed partnership may be far from repaired with this recent set of voting and restructuring.
“Three months ago, we made a promise to commit to transformational change and with this vote we kept the last and most significant promise in reimagining the HFPA and our role in the industry,” HFPA board president Ali Sar said Thursday after all the members’ vote to approve bylaw reforms ere tallied by Ernst & Young. “All of these promised reforms can serve as industry benchmarks and allow us to once again partner meaningfully with Hollywood moving forward.”
With top studios, publicist and talent still keeping the HFPA at arm’s length over its lack of diverse membership and long history of institutional and personal misconduct, that frayed partnership may be far from repaired with this recent set of voting and restructuring.
- 8/5/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Among the accusations the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and its annual Golden Globe Awards now face: racist nominations, category designations, and membership; a lack of attention for female filmmakers; member resistance to watching films and shows outside their apparent comfort zones; a slavish affection for celebrity; and an overweening fondness for swag.
The tiny organization is a familiar source of Hollywood derision; fewer than 100 members of uncertain provenance determine the results of an awards show that receives major media attention and millions in advertising dollars. Now, they face their greatest enemy: themselves. After a February exposé by the Los Angeles Times, followed by a series of increasingly urgent missteps followed by promises to do better, the HFPA and the Golden Globes now appear to be hurtling toward an inglorious, only-in-Hollywood end.
Here’s how they got there.
Update: This article was originally published on April 21, 2021 and has been frequently updated...
The tiny organization is a familiar source of Hollywood derision; fewer than 100 members of uncertain provenance determine the results of an awards show that receives major media attention and millions in advertising dollars. Now, they face their greatest enemy: themselves. After a February exposé by the Los Angeles Times, followed by a series of increasingly urgent missteps followed by promises to do better, the HFPA and the Golden Globes now appear to be hurtling toward an inglorious, only-in-Hollywood end.
Here’s how they got there.
Update: This article was originally published on April 21, 2021 and has been frequently updated...
- 8/5/2021
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has approved the new set of bylaws that had been proposed to reform the organization, recruit more diverse and inclusive members and address the ethics and accountability issues that have long swirled around the organization.
Most recently, the HFPA had approved new gift, travel and conflict of interest policies that forbade members to accept promotional materials or other gifts from studios, publicists, actors, directors or others. The group has also been working on new membership goals in light of the reveal, first reported last spring by the Los Angeles Times, that the HFPA had no Black members.
Those charges of questionable practices and a lack of diverse membership led NBC to announce that it would not air the Golden Globes in 2022.
“Three months ago, we made a promise to commit to transformational change and with this vote we kept the last and most significant promise...
Most recently, the HFPA had approved new gift, travel and conflict of interest policies that forbade members to accept promotional materials or other gifts from studios, publicists, actors, directors or others. The group has also been working on new membership goals in light of the reveal, first reported last spring by the Los Angeles Times, that the HFPA had no Black members.
Those charges of questionable practices and a lack of diverse membership led NBC to announce that it would not air the Golden Globes in 2022.
“Three months ago, we made a promise to commit to transformational change and with this vote we kept the last and most significant promise...
- 8/5/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association said Wednesday that it has amended its eligibility guidelines for “future” Golden Globe Award shows and events, including one that will allow foreign-language films as well as animated films to compete in its Best Motion Picture categories.
As part of the changes, the Globes’ Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language award will be renamed Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language. The Oscars did something similar beginning in 2020, renaming its Best Foreign Language Film category as Best International Feature Film.
See the full list of Globes rules changes below.
Of course, when the impact of the rules changes might be felt remains unknown. Longtime broadcast home NBC said in May it was canceling the 2022 edition of the Golden Globes amid the growing scrutiny over the HFPA’s membership makeup and organizational methods, saying it and show producer Dick Clark Productions don’t want to bring it back until there have been meaningful reforms.
As part of the changes, the Globes’ Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language award will be renamed Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language. The Oscars did something similar beginning in 2020, renaming its Best Foreign Language Film category as Best International Feature Film.
See the full list of Globes rules changes below.
Of course, when the impact of the rules changes might be felt remains unknown. Longtime broadcast home NBC said in May it was canceling the 2022 edition of the Golden Globes amid the growing scrutiny over the HFPA’s membership makeup and organizational methods, saying it and show producer Dick Clark Productions don’t want to bring it back until there have been meaningful reforms.
- 6/30/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has announced new eligibility guidelines for future Golden Globe Award shows, despite NBC announcing the cancellation of the annual telecast in 2022. The new rules will allow non-English language films to compete in their top categories, following the “Minari” backlash last awards season.
In addition to allowing non-English language films to compete in the best motion picture (drama) and motion picture (musical or comedy) categories, they will now once again allow animated features to compete in those categories, as long as they meet the other eligibility requirements for consideration.
After the Golden Globe rules forced Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari” to compete in foreign language, the HFPA received pushback from audiences and the Hollywood industry. The A24 feature went on to be nominated at the Oscars for best picture and won an acting award for supporting actress Yuh Jung Youn. There was a similar outcry the...
In addition to allowing non-English language films to compete in the best motion picture (drama) and motion picture (musical or comedy) categories, they will now once again allow animated features to compete in those categories, as long as they meet the other eligibility requirements for consideration.
After the Golden Globe rules forced Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari” to compete in foreign language, the HFPA received pushback from audiences and the Hollywood industry. The A24 feature went on to be nominated at the Oscars for best picture and won an acting award for supporting actress Yuh Jung Youn. There was a similar outcry the...
- 6/30/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The Critics Choice Association is looking to capitalize on the absence of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on the awards scene following NBC’s announcement that the Golden Globes would be canceled in 2022. Hoping to present itself as a credible alternative, the CCAs announced its show would air on Jan. 9, 2022, and sources have revealed that the organization has been looking to secure the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where the Golden Globes have been held for several decades. However, the HFPA looks to be blocking any such efforts as the Cca has been unable to secure the venue for its telecast due to the Beverly Hilton management receiving pushback about releasing the dates.
“The HFPA values its longstanding relationship with the Hilton,” the HFPA said in a statement to Variety. “However, the organization is focused on its reform efforts and working on the transformational changes it has already announced and has made...
“The HFPA values its longstanding relationship with the Hilton,” the HFPA said in a statement to Variety. “However, the organization is focused on its reform efforts and working on the transformational changes it has already announced and has made...
- 6/25/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization behind the Golden Globes, has lost one of its longest-standing and most respected members.
Yoram Kahana, an Israeli journalist who joined the HFPA in 1963, died Tuesday of heart failure, according to an email sent to colleagues and friends by HFPA president Ali Sar. He was 82.
Born on Jan. 1, 1939, in Tel Aviv, Israel (Palestine, at the time), Kahana ventured into journalism while still in his teens, writing and photographing for Ha’olam Hazeh. His girlfriend’s father owned an outdoor cinema, for which he helped to compose English subtitles.
Kahana served in the Israeli Army ...
Yoram Kahana, an Israeli journalist who joined the HFPA in 1963, died Tuesday of heart failure, according to an email sent to colleagues and friends by HFPA president Ali Sar. He was 82.
Born on Jan. 1, 1939, in Tel Aviv, Israel (Palestine, at the time), Kahana ventured into journalism while still in his teens, writing and photographing for Ha’olam Hazeh. His girlfriend’s father owned an outdoor cinema, for which he helped to compose English subtitles.
Kahana served in the Israeli Army ...
- 6/17/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization behind the Golden Globes, has lost one of its longest-standing and most respected members.
Yoram Kahana, an Israeli journalist who joined the HFPA in 1963, died Tuesday of heart failure, according to an email sent to colleagues and friends by HFPA president Ali Sar. He was 82.
Born on Jan. 1, 1939, in Tel Aviv, Israel (Palestine, at the time), Kahana ventured into journalism while still in his teens, writing and photographing for Ha’olam Hazeh. His girlfriend’s father owned an outdoor cinema, for which he helped to compose English subtitles.
Kahana served in the Israeli Army ...
Yoram Kahana, an Israeli journalist who joined the HFPA in 1963, died Tuesday of heart failure, according to an email sent to colleagues and friends by HFPA president Ali Sar. He was 82.
Born on Jan. 1, 1939, in Tel Aviv, Israel (Palestine, at the time), Kahana ventured into journalism while still in his teens, writing and photographing for Ha’olam Hazeh. His girlfriend’s father owned an outdoor cinema, for which he helped to compose English subtitles.
Kahana served in the Israeli Army ...
- 6/17/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Time’s Up and the coalition of publicity firms that has put pressure on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to change its ways have applauded NBC’s decision to scrap the 2022 Golden Globe Awards telecast out of concern about the lack of diversity among its members.
The publicist’ group issued a letter in March that vowed to boycott the HFPA if the organization did not implement major reforms. That came on the heels of a damning Los Angeles Times expose of the little-known press association that administers the Globes.
On Monday, the publicists group called on the HFPA to devote “sustained focus” on reforming the organization. Also Monday, WarnerMedia joined the boycott of the HFPA. “The HFPA cannot accurately reflect the best of our industry until your membership expands to reflect more of the social, cultural and ethnic diversity that exists in the stories we tell and the creators with whom we work,...
The publicist’ group issued a letter in March that vowed to boycott the HFPA if the organization did not implement major reforms. That came on the heels of a damning Los Angeles Times expose of the little-known press association that administers the Globes.
On Monday, the publicists group called on the HFPA to devote “sustained focus” on reforming the organization. Also Monday, WarnerMedia joined the boycott of the HFPA. “The HFPA cannot accurately reflect the best of our industry until your membership expands to reflect more of the social, cultural and ethnic diversity that exists in the stories we tell and the creators with whom we work,...
- 5/10/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
The embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s woes are intensifying, with NBC on Monday announcing that it will not broadcast next year’s Golden Globes ceremony.
“We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform,” an NBC rep said in a statement. “However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right. As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes. Assuming the organization executes on its plan, we are hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023.”
More from...
“We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform,” an NBC rep said in a statement. “However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right. As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes. Assuming the organization executes on its plan, we are hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023.”
More from...
- 5/10/2021
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
WarnerMedia is joining Netflix and Amazon Studios in refusing to participate in any more events related to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association until the org demonstrates real, lasting reform and change, according to a letter that has been sent to HFPA president Ali Sar.
In the letter, signed by key WarnerMedia execs and shared with reporters on Monday morning, the conglomerate writes that its leaders don’t believe that the HFPA’s plans for change, announced last week, “goes far enough in addressing the breadth of our concerns, nor does your timeline capture the immediate need by which these issues should be addressed. WarnerMedia Studios and Networks will continue to refrain from direct engagement with the HFPA, including sanctioned press conferences and invitations to cover other industry events with talent, until these changes are implemented.”
In particular, WarnerMedia said it’s concerned that the 18-month timeline for change means that...
In the letter, signed by key WarnerMedia execs and shared with reporters on Monday morning, the conglomerate writes that its leaders don’t believe that the HFPA’s plans for change, announced last week, “goes far enough in addressing the breadth of our concerns, nor does your timeline capture the immediate need by which these issues should be addressed. WarnerMedia Studios and Networks will continue to refrain from direct engagement with the HFPA, including sanctioned press conferences and invitations to cover other industry events with talent, until these changes are implemented.”
In particular, WarnerMedia said it’s concerned that the 18-month timeline for change means that...
- 5/10/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix and Amazon have also said they would cease working with the beleaguered group
WarnerMedia is the latest company to join the chorus of those refusing to work with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), arguing the beleaguered organization’s planned reforms are both too little and are being implemented too slowly.
“While we commend the HFPA membership’s approval of the plan to move towards radical reform, we don’t believe the plan goes far enough in addressing the breadth of our concerns, nor does your timeline capture the immediate need by which these issues should be addressed,” the company wrote in a letter to HFPA president Ali Sar. “WarnerMedia Studios and Networks will continue to refrain from direct engagement with the HFPA, including sanctioned press conferences and invitations to cover other industry events with talent, until these changes are implemented.”
WarnerMedia is the third company to refuse to...
WarnerMedia is the latest company to join the chorus of those refusing to work with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), arguing the beleaguered organization’s planned reforms are both too little and are being implemented too slowly.
“While we commend the HFPA membership’s approval of the plan to move towards radical reform, we don’t believe the plan goes far enough in addressing the breadth of our concerns, nor does your timeline capture the immediate need by which these issues should be addressed,” the company wrote in a letter to HFPA president Ali Sar. “WarnerMedia Studios and Networks will continue to refrain from direct engagement with the HFPA, including sanctioned press conferences and invitations to cover other industry events with talent, until these changes are implemented.”
WarnerMedia is the third company to refuse to...
- 5/10/2021
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
WarnerMedia has now joined the growing chorus of studios, streamers and talent damning the pace and scope of reform at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Like powerhouses Netflix and Amazon this weekend, the home of Golden Globes heavyweight HBO has pulled the plug on all interaction with the insular group until “changes are implemented.”
“While we commend the HFPA membership’s approval of the plan to move towards radical reform, we don’t believe the plan goes far enough in addressing the breadth of our concerns, nor does your timeline capture the immediate need by which these issues should be addressed,” declared the top brass at the AT&T-owned giant in a letter sent to HFPA president Ali Sar yesterday.
“WarnerMedia Studios and Networks will continue to refrain from direct engagement with the HFPA, including sanctioned press conferences and invitations to cover other industry events with talent, until these changes are implemented,...
“While we commend the HFPA membership’s approval of the plan to move towards radical reform, we don’t believe the plan goes far enough in addressing the breadth of our concerns, nor does your timeline capture the immediate need by which these issues should be addressed,” declared the top brass at the AT&T-owned giant in a letter sent to HFPA president Ali Sar yesterday.
“WarnerMedia Studios and Networks will continue to refrain from direct engagement with the HFPA, including sanctioned press conferences and invitations to cover other industry events with talent, until these changes are implemented,...
- 5/10/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon is the latest in a string of companies to condemn the HFPA for its lack of diverse membership
Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke says it will not proceed with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association or its Golden Globe Awards until the HFPA resolves its diversity and inclusion problems.
“We have not been working with the HFPA since these issues were first raised, and like the rest of the industry, we are awaiting a sincere and significant resolution before moving forward,” Salke said in a statement Friday night.
Amazon is the latest in a string of companies to condemn the HFPA for its lack of a diverse membership. Friday, Netflix cut ties with the organization by requesting a meeting to discuss reforms, saying that the HFPA don’t go far enough to address its problems. The HFPA said it would “love” to sit down with Netflix to discuss the arrangement,...
Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke says it will not proceed with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association or its Golden Globe Awards until the HFPA resolves its diversity and inclusion problems.
“We have not been working with the HFPA since these issues were first raised, and like the rest of the industry, we are awaiting a sincere and significant resolution before moving forward,” Salke said in a statement Friday night.
Amazon is the latest in a string of companies to condemn the HFPA for its lack of a diverse membership. Friday, Netflix cut ties with the organization by requesting a meeting to discuss reforms, saying that the HFPA don’t go far enough to address its problems. The HFPA said it would “love” to sit down with Netflix to discuss the arrangement,...
- 5/8/2021
- by Rosemary Rossi
- The Wrap
Scarlett Johansson has spoken out against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, urging the industry to “step back” from the organization until it puts more substantial reforms in place.
Amazon Studios has also issued a statement, echoing the recent criticism from Netflix, Time’s Up and others regarding the HFPA’s latest reform plan. The plan, which was approved on Thursday, includes measures to increase the number of people of color in its membership and restrictions on gifts and payment for members’ work on committees.
In a statement to Variety on Saturday, Johansson revealed that she has shied away from HFPA press conferences due to “sexist questions and remarks,” and said that she believes the industry should distance itself from the organization unless further reforms are implemented.
“As an actor promoting a film, one is expected to participate in awards season by attending press conferences as well as awards shows. In the past,...
Amazon Studios has also issued a statement, echoing the recent criticism from Netflix, Time’s Up and others regarding the HFPA’s latest reform plan. The plan, which was approved on Thursday, includes measures to increase the number of people of color in its membership and restrictions on gifts and payment for members’ work on committees.
In a statement to Variety on Saturday, Johansson revealed that she has shied away from HFPA press conferences due to “sexist questions and remarks,” and said that she believes the industry should distance itself from the organization unless further reforms are implemented.
“As an actor promoting a film, one is expected to participate in awards season by attending press conferences as well as awards shows. In the past,...
- 5/8/2021
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Add Amazon Studios to the growing list of organizations that have stated they will not work with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association until it significantly revamps its diversity and inclusion initiatives.
“We have not been working with the HFPA since these issues were first raised, and like the rest of the industry, we are awaiting a sincere and significant resolution before moving forward,” said a statement from a spokesperson for Amazon Studios.
Earlier, Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos came out against the HFPA organization. His sentiments reflected those expressed by numerous Hollywood publicists, the GLAAD media organization, Time’s Up and the National Assn. of Black Journalists.
“Like many in our industry, we’ve been waiting for today’s announcement in the hope that you would acknowledge the breadth of issues facing the HFPA and provide a clear roadmap for change,” the streamer’s co-ceo Ted Sarandos wrote in a letter Thursday...
“We have not been working with the HFPA since these issues were first raised, and like the rest of the industry, we are awaiting a sincere and significant resolution before moving forward,” said a statement from a spokesperson for Amazon Studios.
Earlier, Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos came out against the HFPA organization. His sentiments reflected those expressed by numerous Hollywood publicists, the GLAAD media organization, Time’s Up and the National Assn. of Black Journalists.
“Like many in our industry, we’ve been waiting for today’s announcement in the hope that you would acknowledge the breadth of issues facing the HFPA and provide a clear roadmap for change,” the streamer’s co-ceo Ted Sarandos wrote in a letter Thursday...
- 5/8/2021
- by Bruce Haring and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association wants to meet with Ted Sarandos after the Netflix co-ceo announced that the streamer will no longer work with the group behind the Golden Globes.
Sarandos informed the HFPA that he wasn’t satisfied with its plans to overhaul the organization following weeks of criticism for its lack of diversity among members.
“We have always valued our relationship with Netflix as we seek to bring news about motion pictures and television to the world. We hear your concerns about the changes our association needs to make and want to assure you that we are working diligently on all of them,” HFPA President Ali Sar wrote in a letter to Sarandos late Friday night.
Sar wrote he wished to “clarify some misinformation” with Sarandos. “We would love to meet with you and your team so we can review the very specific actions that are already in the works,...
Sarandos informed the HFPA that he wasn’t satisfied with its plans to overhaul the organization following weeks of criticism for its lack of diversity among members.
“We have always valued our relationship with Netflix as we seek to bring news about motion pictures and television to the world. We hear your concerns about the changes our association needs to make and want to assure you that we are working diligently on all of them,” HFPA President Ali Sar wrote in a letter to Sarandos late Friday night.
Sar wrote he wished to “clarify some misinformation” with Sarandos. “We would love to meet with you and your team so we can review the very specific actions that are already in the works,...
- 5/8/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix said it would no longer work with Golden Globes group without a ‘clear roadmap for change’
In a letter Friday night, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association responded to Netflix’s decision to cut ties with the organization by requesting a meeting to discuss reforms Netflix said don’t go far enough to address problems of diversity and inclusion.
Netflix had previously said Friday it would stop working with the HFPA — the organization responsible for the Golden Globes — until it underwent significant changes including addressing racial inequity in the Association. The HFPA said it would “love” to sit down with Netflix to discuss the arrangement, in a letter sent by president Ali Sar to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos.
Read Sar’s full request to Sarandos below.
“Dear Ted:
We have always valued our relationship with Netflix as we seek to bring news about motion pictures and television to the world.
In a letter Friday night, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association responded to Netflix’s decision to cut ties with the organization by requesting a meeting to discuss reforms Netflix said don’t go far enough to address problems of diversity and inclusion.
Netflix had previously said Friday it would stop working with the HFPA — the organization responsible for the Golden Globes — until it underwent significant changes including addressing racial inequity in the Association. The HFPA said it would “love” to sit down with Netflix to discuss the arrangement, in a letter sent by president Ali Sar to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos.
Read Sar’s full request to Sarandos below.
“Dear Ted:
We have always valued our relationship with Netflix as we seek to bring news about motion pictures and television to the world.
- 5/8/2021
- by Samson Amore
- The Wrap
Exclusive: (Updated With HFPA Response) As the beleaguered Hollywood Foreign Press Association pledges to reform itself, Netflix has declared that it will not be working with the Golden Globes group until it gets its act together, to put it mildly.
“Like many in our industry, we’ve been waiting for today’s announcement in the hope that you would acknowledge the breadth of issues facing the HFPA and provide a clear roadmap for change,” the streamer’s co-ceo Ted Sarandos wrote in a letter Thursday to the HFPA’s Leadership Committee that Deadline has obtained.
The correspondence from the top exec came on May 6 after around 75 of the insular HFPA’s 86 members voted for an inclusion and overhaul proposal the group’s board put forth at the beginning of this week. The HFPA has been scrambling since it was revealed just before February 28’s semi-virtual Golden Globes that the freewheeling group had zero Black members.
“Like many in our industry, we’ve been waiting for today’s announcement in the hope that you would acknowledge the breadth of issues facing the HFPA and provide a clear roadmap for change,” the streamer’s co-ceo Ted Sarandos wrote in a letter Thursday to the HFPA’s Leadership Committee that Deadline has obtained.
The correspondence from the top exec came on May 6 after around 75 of the insular HFPA’s 86 members voted for an inclusion and overhaul proposal the group’s board put forth at the beginning of this week. The HFPA has been scrambling since it was revealed just before February 28’s semi-virtual Golden Globes that the freewheeling group had zero Black members.
- 5/8/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Ali Sar, the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, has shared a letter in which he responded to the concerns raised in a Thursday missive from Netflix co-ceo and chief content officer Ted Sarandos, wherein Sarandos said that his company — which received more nominations (42) and wins (10) than any other studio or network at the 78th Golden Globe Awards in February — will be “stopping any activities” with the HFPA “until more meaningful changes are made” by the organization, which is under pressure to reform itself after the Los Angeles Times revealed that it currently counts zero Black people among ...
Ali Sar, the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, has shared a letter in which he responded to the concerns raised in a Thursday missive from Netflix co-ceo and chief content officer Ted Sarandos, wherein Sarandos said that his company — which received more nominations (42) and wins (10) than any other studio or network at the 78th Golden Globe Awards in February — will be “stopping any activities” with the HFPA “until more meaningful changes are made” by the organization, which is under pressure to reform itself after the Los Angeles Times revealed that it currently counts zero Black people among ...
Updated with dcp statement: Less than a week after the board of the besieged Hollywood Foreign Press Association put forth its latest plan for inclusion and reform, a vast majority of the nonprofit’s members have backed the first step.
In a meeting Thursday that I hear just ended, about 75 of the Golden Globes group’s 86 members voted in favor of the board’s sweeping scheme. The remaining nine who didn’t pass the plan were an assortment of negatives, abstainers and a couple who just weren’t there.
The vote now allows the HFPA board to start hiring a search firm to bring in a CEO, a Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer and other administrative executives, as well as find a company to help set up a hotline to report conduct violations. The vote also means the HFPA, which stunningly has zero Black members, will begin to look for new members Asap.
In a meeting Thursday that I hear just ended, about 75 of the Golden Globes group’s 86 members voted in favor of the board’s sweeping scheme. The remaining nine who didn’t pass the plan were an assortment of negatives, abstainers and a couple who just weren’t there.
The vote now allows the HFPA board to start hiring a search firm to bring in a CEO, a Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer and other administrative executives, as well as find a company to help set up a hotline to report conduct violations. The vote also means the HFPA, which stunningly has zero Black members, will begin to look for new members Asap.
- 5/6/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The membership of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has approved its board’s plans to radically change the organization behind the Golden Globes.
Sources tell Variety that the membership voted on the proposals earlier Thursday. Seventy-two members voted to approve the board’s plan, and three members voted against it.
“Today’s overwhelming vote to reform the Association reaffirms our commitment to change,” HFPA president Ali Sar said in a statement. “That’s why we’ve already taken some action that will allow us to make swift progress. Because we understand the urgency and issue of transparency, we will be continuously updating the members as we move forward in making our organization more inclusive and diverse. Again, we understand that the hard work starts now. We remain dedicated to becoming a better organization and an example of diversity, transparency and accountability in the industry.”
In a letter to its membership on Monday,...
Sources tell Variety that the membership voted on the proposals earlier Thursday. Seventy-two members voted to approve the board’s plan, and three members voted against it.
“Today’s overwhelming vote to reform the Association reaffirms our commitment to change,” HFPA president Ali Sar said in a statement. “That’s why we’ve already taken some action that will allow us to make swift progress. Because we understand the urgency and issue of transparency, we will be continuously updating the members as we move forward in making our organization more inclusive and diverse. Again, we understand that the hard work starts now. We remain dedicated to becoming a better organization and an example of diversity, transparency and accountability in the industry.”
In a letter to its membership on Monday,...
- 5/6/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
“We remain dedicated to becoming a better organization and an example of diversity, transparency and accountability in the industry.”
Members of the beleaguered Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) have approved by “overwhelming vote” an overhaul of the body that will see membership grow by more than 50% in the next 18 months.
On Thursday (May 6) what was understood to be a large majority of the 86 members based in southern California ratified changes proposed by the board earlier in the week.
The HFPA, which votes for the Golden Globes, had come under fire for its ethical conduct and membership composition in an article...
Members of the beleaguered Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) have approved by “overwhelming vote” an overhaul of the body that will see membership grow by more than 50% in the next 18 months.
On Thursday (May 6) what was understood to be a large majority of the 86 members based in southern California ratified changes proposed by the board earlier in the week.
The HFPA, which votes for the Golden Globes, had come under fire for its ethical conduct and membership composition in an article...
- 5/6/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Last Wednesday an email chain started to circulate around Hollywood’s press agencies, who represent many of the entertainment industry’s top stars. Over the decades, some veteran publicists were getting sick and tired of the demands of The Hollywood Foreign Press, that coterie of about 90 foreign correspondents who originally banded together to get access to movie stars and eventually came to believe they were friends with them.
The HFPA launched the Golden Globes in 1944, and this past season came under fire after the latest in a series of muckraking newspaper stories over the years exposing their susceptibility to exotic junkets and excessive swag, cozy relationships with publicists, and their myopia about diversity within their membership ranks. After refusing to hire a diversity consultant, the HFPA went ahead and recently put some advisors on their payroll, announcing at the Golden Globes, which were an anemic affair this year, that they would make changes.
The HFPA launched the Golden Globes in 1944, and this past season came under fire after the latest in a series of muckraking newspaper stories over the years exposing their susceptibility to exotic junkets and excessive swag, cozy relationships with publicists, and their myopia about diversity within their membership ranks. After refusing to hire a diversity consultant, the HFPA went ahead and recently put some advisors on their payroll, announcing at the Golden Globes, which were an anemic affair this year, that they would make changes.
- 3/16/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Last Wednesday an email chain started to circulate around Hollywood’s press agencies, who represent many of the entertainment industry’s top stars. Over the decades, some veteran publicists were getting sick and tired of the demands of The Hollywood Foreign Press, that coterie of about 90 foreign correspondents who originally banded together to get access to movie stars and eventually came to believe they were friends with them.
The HFPA launched the Golden Globes in 1944, and this past season came under fire after the latest in a series of muckraking newspaper stories over the years exposing their susceptibility to exotic junkets and excessive swag, cozy relationships with publicists, and their myopia about diversity within their membership ranks. After refusing to hire a diversity consultant, the HFPA went ahead and recently put some advisors on their payroll, announcing at the Golden Globes, which were an anemic affair this year, that they would make changes.
The HFPA launched the Golden Globes in 1944, and this past season came under fire after the latest in a series of muckraking newspaper stories over the years exposing their susceptibility to exotic junkets and excessive swag, cozy relationships with publicists, and their myopia about diversity within their membership ranks. After refusing to hire a diversity consultant, the HFPA went ahead and recently put some advisors on their payroll, announcing at the Golden Globes, which were an anemic affair this year, that they would make changes.
- 3/16/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
More than 100 Hollywood public relations firms demanded on Monday that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the organization that hands out the Golden Globes, enact “profound and lasting” change otherwise their clients will not “participate in HFPA events or interviews” going forward.
The scathing email from the leading publicity firms in the entertainment industry read:
“We call on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to swiftly manifest profound and lasting change to eradicate the longstanding exclusionary ethos and pervasive practice of discriminatory behavior, unprofessionalism, ethical impropriety and alleged financial corruption endemic to the HFPA, funded by Dick Clark Productions, MRC, NBCUniversal and Comcast.”
It continued: “In the last decade our industry has faced a seismic reckoning and begun to address its failure to reflect and honor the diversity of our community, yet we have witnessed no acceptance of responsibility, accountability or action from the HFPA, even as systemic inequity and egregious behavior are allowed to continue.
The scathing email from the leading publicity firms in the entertainment industry read:
“We call on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to swiftly manifest profound and lasting change to eradicate the longstanding exclusionary ethos and pervasive practice of discriminatory behavior, unprofessionalism, ethical impropriety and alleged financial corruption endemic to the HFPA, funded by Dick Clark Productions, MRC, NBCUniversal and Comcast.”
It continued: “In the last decade our industry has faced a seismic reckoning and begun to address its failure to reflect and honor the diversity of our community, yet we have witnessed no acceptance of responsibility, accountability or action from the HFPA, even as systemic inequity and egregious behavior are allowed to continue.
- 3/16/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group that hands out the Golden Globe Awards, sent an apology letter to Hollywood execs promising impending change following outcry about the lack of Black members in its organization.
“In the spirit of transparency, we are reaching out to you to reassure you that important changes are underway at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” President Ali Sar wrote in the letter sent Wednesday. “We are also actively scheduling conversations with different communities, partners and advocacy groups to better educate our approach and create strong partnerships that will further serve our goals of transformational change. We know we have a lot to do, and we are committed to listening, learning and putting in the work.”
On Tuesday, the HFPA hired Dr. Shaun Harper, a leading expert on racial equity, Provost Professor in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, and founder...
“In the spirit of transparency, we are reaching out to you to reassure you that important changes are underway at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” President Ali Sar wrote in the letter sent Wednesday. “We are also actively scheduling conversations with different communities, partners and advocacy groups to better educate our approach and create strong partnerships that will further serve our goals of transformational change. We know we have a lot to do, and we are committed to listening, learning and putting in the work.”
On Tuesday, the HFPA hired Dr. Shaun Harper, a leading expert on racial equity, Provost Professor in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, and founder...
- 3/12/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
HFPA Vows to ‘Put in the Work’ Amid Diversity Scandal, in Letter to Hollywood Publicists (Exclusive)
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association continued its apology tour on Wednesday by sending a letter to studio and personal publicists that reiterated its promise that change was coming to the embattled organization.
“We have been partners with many of you for a long time and recognize and appreciate the significant role you play in the entertainment community. In the spirit of transparency, we are reaching out to you to reassure you that important changes are underway at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” reads the letter, which was signed by HFPA President Ali Sar. “We announced our commitment to transformational change over the weekend, as well as the hiring of two experienced, renowned advisors in Dr. Shaun Harper and Ropes & Gray … to immediately assist with the implementation of our plan. We are also actively scheduling conversations with different communities, partners and advocacy groups to better educate our approach and create strong...
“We have been partners with many of you for a long time and recognize and appreciate the significant role you play in the entertainment community. In the spirit of transparency, we are reaching out to you to reassure you that important changes are underway at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” reads the letter, which was signed by HFPA President Ali Sar. “We announced our commitment to transformational change over the weekend, as well as the hiring of two experienced, renowned advisors in Dr. Shaun Harper and Ropes & Gray … to immediately assist with the implementation of our plan. We are also actively scheduling conversations with different communities, partners and advocacy groups to better educate our approach and create strong...
- 3/12/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Under severe criticism for the lack of a single Black member among their influential ranks, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association today finally laid out some specifics of how they intend to try to rectify matters.
“We understand the importance of building a more inclusive organization and becoming more transparent in our operations, and these hires are an important first step,” said the HFPA today.
Following more vague promises this past weekend to address the appalling situation, the Golden Globes organizing group are bringing on board Dr. Shaun Harper the executive director of USC Race and Equity Center as their “Strategic Diversity Advisor for the next five years,” the Golden Globes presenting group announced Tuesday. In addition to conducting a review of the 87-member group’s internal policies, Dr. Harper “will also create and conduct a series of anti-racism and unconscious bias training for our members,” the HFPA stated. “Dr. Harper...
“We understand the importance of building a more inclusive organization and becoming more transparent in our operations, and these hires are an important first step,” said the HFPA today.
Following more vague promises this past weekend to address the appalling situation, the Golden Globes organizing group are bringing on board Dr. Shaun Harper the executive director of USC Race and Equity Center as their “Strategic Diversity Advisor for the next five years,” the Golden Globes presenting group announced Tuesday. In addition to conducting a review of the 87-member group’s internal policies, Dr. Harper “will also create and conduct a series of anti-racism and unconscious bias training for our members,” the HFPA stated. “Dr. Harper...
- 3/9/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that hands out the Golden Globes, has hired a diversity consultant and an outside counsel to assist with its “transformational change” following outcry over the lack of Black members in the group.
The group hired Dr. Shaun Harper, a leading expert on racial equity, Provost Professor in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, and founder and executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center, as the organization’s Strategic Diversity Advisor for the next five years.
The HFPA also retained Ropes & Gray as outside counsel “to conduct a comprehensive review of HFPA policies, assess our membership process, operations, governance, and review our alignment with industry best practices in various areas. The firm will also support the continued development of a confidential reporting system for investigating alleged violations of our ethical standards and code of conduct. The Ropes...
The group hired Dr. Shaun Harper, a leading expert on racial equity, Provost Professor in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, and founder and executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center, as the organization’s Strategic Diversity Advisor for the next five years.
The HFPA also retained Ropes & Gray as outside counsel “to conduct a comprehensive review of HFPA policies, assess our membership process, operations, governance, and review our alignment with industry best practices in various areas. The firm will also support the continued development of a confidential reporting system for investigating alleged violations of our ethical standards and code of conduct. The Ropes...
- 3/9/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Time’s Up is calling on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to completely reform, demanding that every member of the Golden Globes group resign, as well as replace its existing board. The list of demands is effectively a full-scale dismantling of the HFPA and the Globes as it stands today.
Time’s Up says that every member of the HFPA should resign and can reapply after one year under new outlined membership guidelines, adding that the group must also expand its membership to a minimum of 300 members, which would be more than triple its current membership.
The news follows TheWrap’s report that other HFPA members internally called to remove several of its top leaders.
“Immediate change in the current management and board must be outlined. The existing management and board of HFPA have already demonstrated that they do not understand these issues. However, we recognize the need to have corporate...
Time’s Up says that every member of the HFPA should resign and can reapply after one year under new outlined membership guidelines, adding that the group must also expand its membership to a minimum of 300 members, which would be more than triple its current membership.
The news follows TheWrap’s report that other HFPA members internally called to remove several of its top leaders.
“Immediate change in the current management and board must be outlined. The existing management and board of HFPA have already demonstrated that they do not understand these issues. However, we recognize the need to have corporate...
- 3/9/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
For all intents and purposes, Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony was an imitation of life; stars dressed up for “red carpet” pictures from homes and hotel suites around the world, before logging onto a Zoom meeting to hear the results. Even the show’s hosts were in different cities, interacting awkwardly around broadcast delays. But after a barrage of negative attention on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in the days leading up to the show, it was the imitation of sincerity in addressing the criticism that rankled most. In a half-hearted attempt to answer perhaps the biggest challenge to the HFPA’s integrity in its history — and there have been plenty — the org’s president Ali Sar, vice president Helen Hoehne and former president Meher Tatna dedicated less than a minute, in only 100 words, to their vow to do better, and in so doing, rushed through their meas culpa faster...
- 3/3/2021
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
An Australian member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association said on an Australian morning TV show that the organization hadn’t previously considered the absence of Black journalists “a problem” to be “focused” on.
Jenny Cooney, appearing on Today Australia Monday, was asked about the HFPA’s lack of diversity, as issue that drew anger and attention from Golden Globes presenters Sunday night. Addressing the topic, Cooney said that “the fact that there was not a Black member was not really anything we focused on because we were accepting and welcoming everybody from around the world that was based in L.A. that wrote for foreign publications, that was just our criteria.”
Watch the interview above.
Cooney continued, “The fact that there were no Black members we didn’t really consider a problem. Now of course we realize that we should have been much more proactive about really going out...
Jenny Cooney, appearing on Today Australia Monday, was asked about the HFPA’s lack of diversity, as issue that drew anger and attention from Golden Globes presenters Sunday night. Addressing the topic, Cooney said that “the fact that there was not a Black member was not really anything we focused on because we were accepting and welcoming everybody from around the world that was based in L.A. that wrote for foreign publications, that was just our criteria.”
Watch the interview above.
Cooney continued, “The fact that there were no Black members we didn’t really consider a problem. Now of course we realize that we should have been much more proactive about really going out...
- 3/3/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Sunday’s Golden Globes dropped to new lows in both the key demo and total viewers for the awards show since it began airing on NBC in 1996, drawing a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49 and 6.9 million viewers, according to “Live + Same Day” data from Nielsen. That means this year’s show lost nearly two-thirds of last year’s TV audience.
The 78th annual Golden Globe Awards — which were hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on separate coasts — are down 68% in ratings compared to the prior year’s show, which had settled for the previous all-time low rating among adults 18-49 (a 4.7).
As for the overall audience size, the Covid-era special drew 6.9 million total viewers, down 63% compared to last year’s show, which was hosted by Ricky Gervais. The 2020 show tallied 18.376 million viewers, which at the time was the smallest overall audience for the event since 2012.
These Globes outperformed the Covid-impacted Emmy Awards,...
The 78th annual Golden Globe Awards — which were hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on separate coasts — are down 68% in ratings compared to the prior year’s show, which had settled for the previous all-time low rating among adults 18-49 (a 4.7).
As for the overall audience size, the Covid-era special drew 6.9 million total viewers, down 63% compared to last year’s show, which was hosted by Ricky Gervais. The 2020 show tallied 18.376 million viewers, which at the time was the smallest overall audience for the event since 2012.
These Globes outperformed the Covid-impacted Emmy Awards,...
- 3/2/2021
- by Tony Maglio and Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
The Golden Globes were held on Sunday, and we learned so much as we continue on into the awards season — but the lessons may not be what we had expected in this extended pandemic year. Here are some of the things we learned from the first big awards show of 2021:
The elephant in the awards room regarding diversity
If you look over the past week of events for the HFPA, it’s been undoubtedly one of the most challenging as an organization. From the LA Times story regarding the complete lack of Black members on Sunday, Feb. 21, to Variety’s reporting that that had been the case since at least 2002, the HFPA was facing an awards show that would have been heavily scrutinized for an all-white selection of winners. The accounting firm Ernst & Young, which tabulates the organization’s votes for the nominees, mailed the ballots on Tuesday,...
The elephant in the awards room regarding diversity
If you look over the past week of events for the HFPA, it’s been undoubtedly one of the most challenging as an organization. From the LA Times story regarding the complete lack of Black members on Sunday, Feb. 21, to Variety’s reporting that that had been the case since at least 2002, the HFPA was facing an awards show that would have been heavily scrutinized for an all-white selection of winners. The accounting firm Ernst & Young, which tabulates the organization’s votes for the nominees, mailed the ballots on Tuesday,...
- 3/1/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Time’s Up has called on NBCUniversal to reform the Golden Globes after the Hollywood Foreign Press Association leadership addressed the absence of Black members within the organization on Sunday’s telecast.
HFPA President Ali Sar, Vice President Helen Hoehne and former president Meher Tatna took the stage to discuss the issue during the show, with short remarks admitting that the organization needs Black members and promising “a more inclusive future.”
“We recognize we have our own work to do,” Hoehne said. “Just like in film and television, Black representation is vital. We must have Black journalists in our organization.”
In response, Time’s Up President and CEO Tina Tchen penned letters to the HFPA and the award show’s broadcast partner NBCUniversal, writing, “We must fix the Golden Globes.”
“Statements made by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) tonight and over the last several days indicate that the organization believes it can make the fix,...
HFPA President Ali Sar, Vice President Helen Hoehne and former president Meher Tatna took the stage to discuss the issue during the show, with short remarks admitting that the organization needs Black members and promising “a more inclusive future.”
“We recognize we have our own work to do,” Hoehne said. “Just like in film and television, Black representation is vital. We must have Black journalists in our organization.”
In response, Time’s Up President and CEO Tina Tchen penned letters to the HFPA and the award show’s broadcast partner NBCUniversal, writing, “We must fix the Golden Globes.”
“Statements made by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) tonight and over the last several days indicate that the organization believes it can make the fix,...
- 3/1/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
“Nomadland” won the big awards, “Borat” beat “Hamilton” in a battle of politically-charged films and “The Crown” and “Schitt’s Creek” were the big TV winners at the 78th annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night.
So what?
In the grand scheme of Golden Globes news, the night’s winners are all but irrelevant. What mattered on the stages of the Beverly Hilton and New York City’s Rainbow Room, and in the homes of winners, nominees and viewers around the world, was the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s on-stage acknowledgement that it needs to admit some Black members and become more diverse and inclusive. And the clear feeling even from presenters and winners was that they need to do so immediately.
What really matters is not the six extremely vague sentences from Hpfa officials Helen Hoehne, Meher Tatna and Ali Sar during their 40 seconds on the stage, but what they do next.
So what?
In the grand scheme of Golden Globes news, the night’s winners are all but irrelevant. What mattered on the stages of the Beverly Hilton and New York City’s Rainbow Room, and in the homes of winners, nominees and viewers around the world, was the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s on-stage acknowledgement that it needs to admit some Black members and become more diverse and inclusive. And the clear feeling even from presenters and winners was that they need to do so immediately.
What really matters is not the six extremely vague sentences from Hpfa officials Helen Hoehne, Meher Tatna and Ali Sar during their 40 seconds on the stage, but what they do next.
- 3/1/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
It was a busy night for Time’s Up as they sent not one, but two letters on Sunday night in regards to a flimsy statement made by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) in regards to the lack of inclusion of Black people in their organization. And just to make sure their bases were covered, Time’s Up also sent a letter to NBCUniversal to make sure they are being held accountable.
The first letter was to HFPA’s Meher Tatna, Board Chair; Ali Sar, President and Helen Hoehne, Vice President. The trio appeared on stage on Sunday night during the Golden Globes telecast to address the lack of Black people in the organization. The appearance was brief and didn’t seem to have a sense of urgency. Instead, it felt trite and fleeting. Time’s Up President & CEO Tina Tchen did not mince words.
“The HFPA’s statements tonight...
The first letter was to HFPA’s Meher Tatna, Board Chair; Ali Sar, President and Helen Hoehne, Vice President. The trio appeared on stage on Sunday night during the Golden Globes telecast to address the lack of Black people in the organization. The appearance was brief and didn’t seem to have a sense of urgency. Instead, it felt trite and fleeting. Time’s Up President & CEO Tina Tchen did not mince words.
“The HFPA’s statements tonight...
- 3/1/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The 78th annual Golden Globes had a unique opportunity to right some wrongs and take Hollywood’s awards season into a new realm coming out of the coronavirus pandemic.
Unless disaster was the intention, the show absolutely missed it with a bloated and glitchy ceremony that was pure Hindenburg almost from the beginning. Already mired in anger from some of the industry’s heaviest hitters over the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s lack of Black members, Sunday night’s bicoastal ceremony hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler certainly was a Globes to remember, in the worst way.
And it’s not like last year’s Ricky Gervais-fronted event was any great shakes to begin with, but it looks positively artful in comparison now.
Now, heading toward the Oscars, it was undeniably a good night for the likes of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Judas and the Black Messiah’s Daniel Kaluuya,...
Unless disaster was the intention, the show absolutely missed it with a bloated and glitchy ceremony that was pure Hindenburg almost from the beginning. Already mired in anger from some of the industry’s heaviest hitters over the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s lack of Black members, Sunday night’s bicoastal ceremony hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler certainly was a Globes to remember, in the worst way.
And it’s not like last year’s Ricky Gervais-fronted event was any great shakes to begin with, but it looks positively artful in comparison now.
Now, heading toward the Oscars, it was undeniably a good night for the likes of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Judas and the Black Messiah’s Daniel Kaluuya,...
- 3/1/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Time’s Up issued letters to both the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and NBC following the 2021 Golden Globes, slamming the HFPA’s statements during the broadcast and in the past few days regarding the lack of diversity in its organization.
“The HFPA’s statements tonight and over the last several days indicate a fundamental lack of understanding of the depth of the problems at hand,” Time’s Up letter to HFPA members Helen Hoehne, Meher Tatna and Ali Sar read. “Your stated version of change is cosmetic — find Black people. That is not a solution.”
“We listened tonight and hoped to hear the HFPA respond with some awareness that the industry wide discontent with your organization’s practices goes far beyond what you offered tonight and in the days preceding. What we had hoped you heard was that not having a Black member was a symptom of a problem, not just the problem itself,...
“The HFPA’s statements tonight and over the last several days indicate a fundamental lack of understanding of the depth of the problems at hand,” Time’s Up letter to HFPA members Helen Hoehne, Meher Tatna and Ali Sar read. “Your stated version of change is cosmetic — find Black people. That is not a solution.”
“We listened tonight and hoped to hear the HFPA respond with some awareness that the industry wide discontent with your organization’s practices goes far beyond what you offered tonight and in the days preceding. What we had hoped you heard was that not having a Black member was a symptom of a problem, not just the problem itself,...
- 3/1/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Making Golden Globes history, Andra Day won the Golden Globe for best actress in a motion picture drama, for her indelible performance in the Hulu film “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” Day’s win underlines the Globes’ pitiable record with representation, as she’s only the second Black woman ever to win this award, after Whoopi Goldberg did 35 years ago for “The Color Purple.”
In a tearful acceptance speech surrounded by her family and friends, Day thanked “the amazing, transformative, dynamic Billie Holiday, who just just transformed me with this role and with her presence and with her spirit.”
This is Day’s first acting nomination and win at the Globes, and she’s the first winner in this category for a movie that debuted on a streaming service. Day, who started her career as a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, was also nominated with Raphael Saadiq for best original song (“Tigress...
In a tearful acceptance speech surrounded by her family and friends, Day thanked “the amazing, transformative, dynamic Billie Holiday, who just just transformed me with this role and with her presence and with her spirit.”
This is Day’s first acting nomination and win at the Globes, and she’s the first winner in this category for a movie that debuted on a streaming service. Day, who started her career as a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, was also nominated with Raphael Saadiq for best original song (“Tigress...
- 3/1/2021
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
In the past, the Golden Globes has been an awards ceremony that, to many, has been considered one of the most fun Hollywood events. The hosts, like this year’s Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, waste no time when it comes to roasting the audience of celebrities who are more socially lubricated as the alcohol flows freely and a casual banquet-like environment sets up for more impromptu, unpredictable moments that are worthy of a fun Monday morning news story that will go viral.
Fun, right? Well, 2021 is a different year.
With a pandemic and a racial reckoning hitting the country in full force, decades of criticism and underlying issues of questionable work ethics that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has managed to sidestep are catching up to them.
Not even five minutes in, Fey playfully explained the HFPA to the audience of essential workers in New York’s Rainbow...
Fun, right? Well, 2021 is a different year.
With a pandemic and a racial reckoning hitting the country in full force, decades of criticism and underlying issues of questionable work ethics that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has managed to sidestep are catching up to them.
Not even five minutes in, Fey playfully explained the HFPA to the audience of essential workers in New York’s Rainbow...
- 3/1/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s not uncommon for awards winners to get political in their speeches, but this year a lot of presenters and winners took swipes at the Golden Globes themselves, calling out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for not having a single Black member in its ranks.
The jokes started out early, with co-host Tina Fey blasting the HFPA’s “around 90 international no black journalists.”
Amy Poehler then added, “We say around 90 because a couple of them might be ghosts.”
Then there were “This is Us” stars Sterling K. Brown and Susan Kelechi Watson as they presented a pair of awards. Brown said “It is great to Black…back! At the Golden Globes.” Kelechi Watson added that it’s not just great to be Black at the Globes but to be Black anywhere.
Earlier this week, Time’s Up led Hollywood in criticizing the HFPA after the Los Angeles Times reported...
The jokes started out early, with co-host Tina Fey blasting the HFPA’s “around 90 international no black journalists.”
Amy Poehler then added, “We say around 90 because a couple of them might be ghosts.”
Then there were “This is Us” stars Sterling K. Brown and Susan Kelechi Watson as they presented a pair of awards. Brown said “It is great to Black…back! At the Golden Globes.” Kelechi Watson added that it’s not just great to be Black at the Globes but to be Black anywhere.
Earlier this week, Time’s Up led Hollywood in criticizing the HFPA after the Los Angeles Times reported...
- 3/1/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
At 98 years young, director and showrunner Norman Lear took home the Carol Burnett Award at Sunday night’s Golden Globes.
A group of friends, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Marisa Tomei, and Wanda Sykes introduced the tribute by celebrating Lear’s talent. Tomei called him “our north star.” Hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler discussed how Lear wasn’t afraid of discussing controversial topics and showing life as it is. A clip package rolled, showing clips from “All in the Family,” “Good Times,” “Maude,” and “Sanford and Son.” Lear, filmed in a separate location, thanked everyone and was “blessed” to accept an award in honor of Carol Burnett. He went on to thank his various collaborators and his wife of 30 years.
The TV pioneer is just the third person to receive the accolade, an honor bestowed upon individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the medium, be it on- or offscreen, and...
A group of friends, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Marisa Tomei, and Wanda Sykes introduced the tribute by celebrating Lear’s talent. Tomei called him “our north star.” Hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler discussed how Lear wasn’t afraid of discussing controversial topics and showing life as it is. A clip package rolled, showing clips from “All in the Family,” “Good Times,” “Maude,” and “Sanford and Son.” Lear, filmed in a separate location, thanked everyone and was “blessed” to accept an award in honor of Carol Burnett. He went on to thank his various collaborators and his wife of 30 years.
The TV pioneer is just the third person to receive the accolade, an honor bestowed upon individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the medium, be it on- or offscreen, and...
- 3/1/2021
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
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