Reports of a Golden Globes revival on NBC may be premature.
A Hollywood Foreign Press Association party in January 2023 “isn’t a done deal,” according to a well-positioned source. Although negotiations are underway between broadcaster Globes and Helen Hoehne-led HFPA, a definitive agreement has not been reached to date. Among the sticking points is the timing of possible Globes 2023 on NBC, with many dates written about things like NFL games and more. Perhaps most significant is the concern over the return of the Globes and the reforms the HFPA has put in place to get back in good hands with Hollywood.
NBC announced in March 2021 that it would not air the Globes 2022.
A six-page letter sent Monday to various stakeholders, including distributors and advertisers, stated, “The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has responded to requests for change by restructuring the organization to address institutional and systemic issues.”
Yet despite all claims of change, as well as encounters with Black, Latino, Asian, AAPI, Native American, disabled, and LGBTQIA + populations across the industry, the HFPA offered few details about who had significant ties and when.
The letter mentions HFPA President Hoehne, Interim CEO Todd Boehle, Chief Diversity Officer Neil Phillips, and other member and non-member directors. This week’s correspondence was preceded by joining the HFPA on July 28 in support of a proposal from Eldridge Industries LLC to create a new private, for-profit entity to manage the Golden Globes and have a non-profit organization. separate that maintains your charitable and philanthropic programs.
In this context, several Tinseltown heavyweights have requested a massive virtual meeting with HFPA and Boehly’s leadership to ask for clarification on the organization’s reforms and future plans, we understand. But none of them have received an answer to this request, they tell us.
Although the HFPA added more than 20 new members last year, most of its members remain members who have existed since the organization has been in the spotlight of the scandal. This protected entry still comes mostly from small posts and blogs. There is also the complication of corresponding members and voting members.
Then there is the question of bringing power-hungry globetrotting stars onto the scene. Comcast-owned NBC’s concern is whether top-tier advertisers can provide the Globe with top-notch talent.
An awards strategist told Deadline this afternoon: “The problem is not that HFPA has a history of voting on a diverse lineup of candidates, the problem is that the organization is not transparent and former members are still around. . there. There was no rotation. “
NBC did not comment on the possible return of the Golden Globes in 2023 when they were contacted by Deadline today. The HFPA also declined to comment today.
In September 2018, the network signed an eight-year contract to broadcast the Golden Globes until 2026, continuing a 23-year tradition. Under the current deal, NBC is believed to pay around $ 60 million annually to broadcast the ceremony.
It has certainly been a tumultuous year for the beleaguered HFPA and its unique trophy display, which has been a magnet for controversy for decades. In February 2021, before the 78th Globes ceremony, the HFPA began to suffer criticism for the lack of diversity in its ranks. More negative reactions followed after the group’s initial announcement on Virtual Globe 2021 and its subsequent plan for “transformational change” was badly received.
In a March 2021 letter to HFPA top executives, the Hollywood publicist group warned the group that it would do better to make big changes or risk its most famous clients telling it to stay away from the ceremony. About seven months later, the organization announced it would move forward with a non-televised edition of the 2022 Golden Globes. a red carpet. Instead, he focused on the philanthropic efforts of the HFPA; Individuals from organizations that received donations from the group announced the nominees and winners.
Despite all the hustle and bustle, some of the evening’s winners received praise from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
HFPA President Hoehn and other members of the organization have been hooked in recent months, speaking with industry groups, powerful actors, and others to convince them of the reforms the organization is making.
Erik Pedersen contributed to this report.
Source: Deadline
