Why the Golden Globes may not survive amidst countless scandals

Hollywood is boycotting the awards ceremony following an exposé by the Los Angeles Times which revealed a series of concerning ethical failings involving the organisation.

During the last few years we’ve seen the entertainment industry undergo a long-overdue reckoning.

From the Me Too movement and #OscarsSoWhite hashtag to cancelled TV shows and gatekeeper corporations making internal changes, Hollywood is finally being held accountable for its failure to ensure safe working environments, pay parity, and equal representation.

Now, following an investigative report by the Los Angeles Times, the latest institution to be called into question is The Golden Globes.

Traditionally marking the beginning of a lavish, self-congratulatory awards season, the 78^th ceremony will not air on NBC next year as the besieged Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) continues to face allegations of ethical failings.

‘We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform,’ NBC 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.’

In case you weren’t aware, the HFPA – responsible for selecting nominees, voting, and handing out those extravagant trophies at the annual Globes – is comprised of a small group of international journalists.

As was revealed by the scathing exposé, of these 87 members not a single one is Black and hasn’t been for twenty years – which promptly sparked outrage.

Despite the BLM protests fuelled by George Floyd’s murder last May, the insular administration body still opted against hiring a diversity consultant.

Old news. New energy. #TimesUpGlobes pic.twitter.com/AzJhTA42W8

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) February 26, 2021

‘87 people wield a tremendous amount of power,’ wrote former winner Sterling K Brown on Instagram in response. ‘For any governing body of a current Hollywood award show to have such a lack of voting representation illustrates a level of irresponsibility that should not be ignored.’

Unfortunately, this is just a fraction of a series of increasingly urgent missteps that are hurtling the HFPA towards its necessary demise – missteps that no amount of (so far empty, I might add) promises to ‘do better’ could resolve.

I’m referring here to a statement made by the organisation last week inviting the ‘industry at large’ to work with them on a systemic reform.

‘Today’s overwhelming vote to reform the Association reaffirms our commitment to change,’ said HFPA president Ali Sar at the time. ‘Because we understand the urgency and issue of transparency, we will be specifically focusing on recruiting Black members and building an environment to allow for their success as we move forward in making our organisation more inclusive and diverse.’