The future of the Golden Globe awards has turned into a big question. The announcement of the 2022 prizes complicated when the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) dropped its famous awards show in light of accusations related to systemic racism and corruption. The celebration in January 2022 conveyed a message, which briefed that The Golden Globes have come to a crossroads. One involves sincere and long-term attempts to restore a tarnished reputation. The other continues down a path of no return as it doubles down on the practices of the past. The award ceremony held by the (HFPA) revealed that the accusations of corruption and racial discrimination against the voters had reached a state where it was impossible to remain silent. Otherwise, it will turn into complicity.
The final blow to the Golden Globes came from its winners. The stars refused to acknowledge their awards and refrained from attending the online ceremony. One of those winners was Will Smith, who has been critical of the Academy award’s discriminatory practices. In 2016 he led a firm stance with African American filmmakers against the Oscars for failing to award any African American. Scarlett Johansson has also criticized the association and Tom Cruise returned the three awards he won before.
Following the accusations, the Golden Globe’s own PR firm withdrew its services from the HFPA. Then, they met more than 100 other PR agencies to demand significant and lasting change. After the Los Angeles report, the award team made statements to ensure the group would do more to welcome black votes in its voting base.
“I think it’s much work, and the things that I’m hearing from them suggest that they’re trying to tell people that, we’ve got it all under control. It will be great, but I think real change takes a long time. So, I don’t think it’s going to happen this year or next year,” said Chris Knight, a film critic for the National Post. “I think recognizing black people and black stories in movies in entertainment is an essential part of making sure that everyone is seen, heard, and understood.
This crisis is not the first in the award’s history. It has been the subject of accusations and attacks by the film industry since the 1950s.
During the protesting against George Floyd, HFPA member, Phil Burke sent an email describing the Black Lives Matter initiative as a hate-racist movement. The letter turned into a major scandal for the association, leading to a statement from the board of directors saying Burke was no longer a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
The movie “The Tourist” by Johnny Depp was subjected to ridicule because of the Golden Globes award. The film belongs to the comedy genre, yet it was nominated for the award as a musical.
