The Golden Globes awards show, once one of Hollywood’s most important events, is returning to television Tuesday after a yearlong hiatus triggered by scandals over race and insider perks.
(Bloomberg) — The Golden Globes awards show, once one of Hollywood’s most important events, is returning to television Tuesday after a yearlong hiatus triggered by scandals over race and insider perks.
It may prove to be a muted comeback. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group behind the show, forged an agreement with NBC to air the awards at the Beverly Hilton on Tuesday night, starting at 5 p.m. in Los Angeles, as opposed to its normal Sunday slot. The network hasn’t committed to showing the event after this year.
Additionally, it’s not clear if all of the movie stars that once made the event must-see TV will be there. Tom Cruise, whose Top Gun: Maverick fighter-jet film has been nominated for best picture in the drama category, returned his three Golden Globe awards in 2021 after a report in the Los Angeles Times showed the HFPA had no Black members. Brendan Fraser, a favorite for best actor for his performance in The Whale, sparred with the group in 2003 over a sexual-assault claim. He’s said he won’t be attending.
The quieter show, combined with a broader ratings decline facing all of network TV, clouds the future of the Golden Globes. Though it never held as much sway in the movie industry as the Oscars, it helped determine to some degree who in Hollywood got financing or roles in future projects. It was also a source of advertising revenue for NBC.
The 2021 Los Angeles Times report about the event sent shockwaves. In addition to revealing that the HFPA had no Black journalists among its 87 members, it also touched on how expensive perks changed hands between those in the group and the studios vying for awards. During that year’s show HFPA leaders apologized on stage for past behavior and promised reform, but NBC refused to televise last year’s event.
Investment firm Eldridge, which owns Golden Globes producer Dick Clark Productions, took over the awards show and last year transformed it into a private entity separate from the HFPA’s charitable and philanthropic programs. A spokesperson for the Globes also said that this year’s ceremony wouldn’t include children of celebrities, who had ushered award winners on and off stage for six decades. That decision comes amid concerns about nepotism in Hollywood.
Jerrod Carmichael, an Emmy-winning Black and gay comedian, is hosting this year’s event. The HFPA has promised that Black people would be included more off-stage, as well. The group has six Black members, out of 96 total, a spokesperson said.
In what may be another effort to broaden its appeal, this year’s Golden Globes feature a lot of movies that were hits at the box office, in addition to generating critical acclaim. The year’s two best-selling movies, Paramount Global’s Top Gun and Walt Disney Co.’s Avatar: The Way of Water will compete for the top prize of best dramatic picture. The Netflix Inc. film, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, is up for best comedic picture along with the surprise A24 sci-fi hit Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Conventional movie studios, as opposed to streaming services such as Netflix, were more widely recognized this year. Disney was nominated 17 times, primarily for its Searchlight Pictures black comedy, The Banshees of Inisherin. Comcast Corp.’s Universal was in second place with 11 nominations, including recognition for Tar — a drama about a female orchestra director — and Steven Spielberg’s coming-of-age tale The Fabelmans.
Unlike the Oscars, the Golden Globes also award the year’s best TV shows. The ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary led the pack with five nominations.
–With assistance from Christopher Palmeri.
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