Golden Globes to go on despite TV blackout

LOS ANGELES • The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organises the annual Golden Globes, said last Friday it will present the awards for television and film in January despite the NBC television network deciding in May to no longer air the show.

The association has drawn criticism over ethics issues and a lack of racial diversity in its membership, prompting NBC to drop televising the Golden Globes that the group hosts.

The group's members were also accused of making sexist and racist remarks and soliciting favours from celebrities and studios.

The association said in a news release that nominations would be announced on Dec 13 and that it would host the 79th annual Golden Globes ceremony on Jan 9.

The group did not say whether the show would be televised.

It agreed in May to recruit more black members and make other changes, and in July, banned its members from receiving gifts and free trips from movie studios and TV networks seeking to secure awards for their shows and stars.

The Golden Globes ceremony, which is attended by A-list stars and industry executives, established itself as one of the biggest annual Hollywood awards shows in the run-up to the Oscars.

But it has been under close scrutiny following an investigation published in February by the Los Angeles Times that showed the group of 87 journalists had no black members.

American actress Scarlett Johansson and other critics, including Netflix, Amazon Studios, WarnerMedia and dozens of Hollywood's top publicity companies, have said they would no longer work with the group unless it makes far-reaching changes.

In May, actor Tom Cruise returned three Golden Globe statuettes he had won.

REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 18, 2021, with the headline Golden Globes to go on despite TV blackout. Subscribe