Golden Globe Awards sold, Hollywood Foreign Press group shut down
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Angela Bassett attends the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on Jan 10 this year.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LOS ANGELES – The Golden Globe Awards were sold on Monday to a new owner that will shut down the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the voting group that faced controversy over ethical lapses and lack of diversity.
Eldridge Industries purchased the Golden Globe assets with Dick Clark Productions (DCP), which will continue to manage the awards telecast and focus on expanding the Globes’ viewership around the world, said a press release. DCP is co-owned by Eldridge and Penske Media.
The sale comes after the HFPA struggled to repair its reputation after a Hollywood backlash over its ethics and lack of diversity,
A Los Angeles Times investigation in 2021 revealed the organisation had no black journalists in its ranks. Some members were accused of making sexist and racist remarks, and soliciting favours from celebrities and movie studios.
The HFPA responded by expanding and diversifying its membership and instituting new ethics policies.
Eldridge Industries chairman Todd Boehly aims to reshape the HFPA, a non-profit organisation of international entertainment reporters, to a for-profit venture with hired workers.
All 310 voters will be eligible to cast ballots for the next ceremony in January 2024, said a spokesman.
“Today marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the Golden Globes,” said Mr Boehly in a statement.
NBC aired the Globes again in 2023. No network has signed up to run the 2024 ceremony yet.
Financial terms of the deal, which was approved by California’s attorney general, were not disclosed. REUTERS
