Golden Globes 2022 Canceled by NBC Amid Mounting HFPA Scandals
The 2022 Golden Globe Awards have been canceled by NBC as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association tries to reform amid mounting controversy. “We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform,” said the Comcast-owned network this morning 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.”
The writing was on the wall this weekend as Hollywood’s top players, from Netflix and Amazon to WarnerMedia, Mark Ruffalo, and Scarlett Johansson, all decried the organization, and its attempts to rebound following a Los Angeles Times expose back in February. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which puts on the annual fete, was criticized for having zero Black members among its voting body of 87, among other corruptions within the organization.
The Los Angeles Times’s scorching piece on February 21 revealed that along with accusations of self-dealing and an overall lack of voting transparency, the organization had voted not to hire a diversity consultant in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests last summer, and declined to participate in press conferences for “Bridgerton,” “Girls Trip,” and “Queen and Slim,” among others.
The latest news arrives as streamers like Netflix and Amazon, and studio WarnerMedia, as well as many other leading industry voices, swore off the HFPA and the Globes until practicable action is taken. The latest ado surrounding the Globes amid an ever-widening scandal also falls just a few days after the HFPA announced sweeping plans to build up its membership, and increase diversity. Other changes promised by the statement from the HFPA board include welcoming journalists to its membership from media beyond just print, and refusing the promotional gifts and freebies that have allegedly swayed their voting. Hollywood is obviously feeling cynical about those promises sticking.
It’s a lot to keep track of, so head over here for a detailed timeline of every scandal that has befallen the Hollywood Foreign Press Association so far this year.
