Golden Globes voting group adds Black members after diversity scandal
And the winner is: Diversity.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is adding Black, Asian and Latino members as the embattled group tries to save the Golden Globe Awards following a diversity scandal that led NBC to cancel next year’s telecast.
The group of journalists behind the annual awards ceremony announced Friday that its 105-member panel will now include six people who identify as Black, 18 who identify as Asian, 12 as Latino and nine as Middle Eastern. It will be the first time since at least 2002 that a Black journalist is part of the voting body, a shocking lack of inclusion that sparked widespread criticism early this year.
The firestorm, which also included allegations of corruption, triggered a six-month reform process that has resulted in the largest and most diverse class of new members in the organization’s nearly 80-year history.
“We are building a new organization, one that is not focused on fulfilling quotas, but instead has diversity and inclusion at its core, has ethical conduct as the norm, and has people of color involved in every aspect of the Association — from membership to executive leadership,” HFPA President Helen Hoehne said in a statement.
The nonprofit’s disastrous year began after a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed the group had no Black members. In April, the organization came under fire again after board member and former HFPA President Philip Berk called Black Lives Matter a “racist hate movement.” He was ousted days after his emailed comments came to light.
The controversies angered many in Hollywood, especially Black actors, and led Netflix, Amazon and WarnerMedia to cut ties with the Los Angeles-based organization. NBC went as far as canceling its planned broadcast of the 2022 Golden Globes, saying the group needed time and work to achieve meaningful reform.
Tom Cruise returned his three Golden Globe trophies — which he won for “Jerry Maguire,“ “Born on the Fourth of July” and “Magnolia” — to protest the group’s lack of diversity.
The HFPA’s new class falls short of the organization’s promise to raise its Black membership to at least 13%. The six Black members make up about 6% of the panel.
But the group said it plans to add new members next year as part of its ongoing diversity efforts.
“As a committee, we’re proud of this first class we’ve invited to join the reimagined HFPA,” said Tre’vell Anderson, a member of the organization’s new credentials committee, which oversees the admissions process.
“They’re a group of well-respected journalists from around the world who will bring a variety of unique perspectives to this organization,” Anderson said in a statement. “That said, we recognize that this is just a first step in a long process, and as a committee, we’re excited to build upon our work in the weeks, months and years to come to continue creating a more inclusive and supportive collective.”
One of the new additions to the voting panel is Kelley Carter, a senior entertainment writer for ESPN’s The Undefeated. At the height of the scandal in March, Carter offered to join the group, writing on Twitter, “Hey Hollywood Foreign Press: I’d love a vote. Signed, a black entertainment journalist. Xo.”
After the announcement Friday, she went back to Twitter to celebrate, saying “Let’s do this.”
