Golden Globes will hold 2022 ceremony without NBC involvement, despite ongoing Hollywood boycott
The show will go on for the Golden Globes, one way or another.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced Friday that it will proceed with its annual awards presentation in 2022, despite NBC's stated intent not to air the ceremony and an ongoing boycott by prominent industry figures. The 2022 edition of the Globes will follow a scandal-plagued year for the HFPA, which has faced increased scrutiny over its lack of diverse members (particularly Black members) and alleged questionable practices.
Nevertheless, the body will proceed with a 2022 ceremony, scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 9. It's unclear what exactly this ceremony will look like, even if the HFPA is able to find a partner willing to televise it; studios and networks must submit their movies and TV shows to the HFPA for consideration, and should the boycott continue, the body may find itself with a dearth of content worth awarding. Submissions for the 2022 ceremony will close on Nov. 15, just a month away.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Golden Globe statues
The HFPA has been embroiled in controversy for much of this year, after the Los Angeles Times published a lengthy report detailing alleged ethical conflicts and other misconduct within the group, as well as the fact that its 87-member body included no Black people at all. Following the report, many celebrities including Ava DuVernay, Regina King, and Kerry Washington addressed the issue on social media, while Marvel superstars Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo spoke out against the HFPA's practices and Tom Cruise gave back his three Golden Globe statuettes in protest. A coalition of 100 publicity firms also banded together to demand "profound and lasting change" from the HFPA, and Netflix and Amazon said they would not do business with the group until its problems were resolved.
NBC later confirmed it would not air the Globes ceremony in 2022, but would be open to resuming its broadcast in 2023 "assuming the organization executes on its plan" to fix its issues, according to a statement.
In the wake of this outcry, the HFPA underwent a lengthy reform process, recently announcing it had invited 21 new journalists into its voting ranks. The group has also reportedly made sweeping changes to its bylaws, eligibility requirements, and standards of conduct in the wake of the scandal, including establishing a diversity, equality, and inclusion strategist, forming a diverse committee to advise on organizational reform, and stipulating that members "can no longer accept gifts from studios, publicists, actors, directors," and others associated with movies and TV shows.
Christopher Polk/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images HFPA members at the Golden Globes.
Still, the announcement that the 2022 ceremony would be held sparked further controversy, as the Critics Choice Association slammed the HFPA for scheduling the Globes for the same date as its annual Critics Choice Awards. CCA CEO Joey Berlin lambasted the group in a scathing email to members, calling the date announcement a "desperate move by the HFPA to try and undercut the Critics Choice Awards and the tremendous support we are receiving from all the major studios, networks and streamers."
"For years we've been trying to draw the comparison between the tainted HFPA and the legitimate Critics Choice Association — which has five times as many members and no stink," Berlin continued. "Our awards are the considered judgment of almost 500 active critics and entertainment reporters who cover film and television and collectively reach virtually every entertainment consumer in the U.S. and Canada every day. While the CCA proudly lists and displays pictures of all its members on our website, the HFPA has long hidden its tiny membership. Only now is it attempting to come clean after having been very publicly disgraced for its prejudice, its crassness, and its highly questionable business practices."
Assuming the HFPA proceeds with its scheduled timeline, nominations for the 2022 Golden Globes will be announced on Dec. 13.
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