For many years, the Golden Globes were my favourite award show because it incorporated film and TV (I’m much more of a TV watcher than a moviegoer), it was always well-attended, and the celebrities would get tipsy. The whole thing was very unserious, particularly the way the categories are structured and what counts as a comedy or musical or whatever. It was just a fun night.

 

After the implosion and cancellation in May of 2021 (read Sarah’s piece if you need a refresher) the Globes are back, but what does “back” even mean? 

One of the catalysts for the implosion involved Emily in Paris and the reports that HFPA members were flown to Paris and treated like royalty (per sources). One of the first out of the gate to publicly criticize the HFPA was Ted Sarandos, of Netflix, who said, “We know that you have many well-intentioned members who want real change — and that all of us have more work to do to create an equitable and inclusive industry,” he wrote. “But Netflix and many of the talent and creators we work with cannot ignore the HFPA’s collective failure to address these crucial issues with urgency and rigor.” 

Um, Netflix was the same group paying for that trip?! And then as soon as it wasn’t cool or convenient to outwardly bribe them, Netflix pulled back. (Time’s Up also got involved in condemning the HFPA early on and since then has also imploded and dissolved.)

 

It wasn’t just about Emily in Paris but also a lack of transparency (flagrant bribery), a lack of diversity (there were zero Black members on the board) and the (alleged) sexual harassment of Brendan Fraser at the hands of Philip Berk.

The Golden Globes are trying to get back in Hollywood’s good graces with a new team, including Chief Diversity Officer Neil Phillips. The new team is giving wide-ranging interviews to trades like The Hollywood Reporter (with journalist Rebecca Keegan) and the LA Times. But as the latter points out, the excitement around the talent is not there and THAT is what will hook the audience. Sure there are some people who read the trades and care about the board, but the vast majority cares more about which celebrities will show up. As of right now, per the LA Times and other publications, public relations teams are not promoting the nominations. Which means that the studios are also not pushing for publicity around the Globes and using it to promote their projects. 

 

The survival of the Globes depends on who they can get to attend and support. Right now, it seems like there’s an overall sense of caution – no one wants to stick their neck out for a Golden Globe if it’s not worth anything. I would suspect that some of the talent and large PR agencies, the really powerful ones, are coordinating and passing names around. Like if Tom Cruise (who gave back his Golden Globes!) shows up, Austin Butler’s team would probably feel better about him attending. Same with Cate Blanchett and Ana de Armas. But if you are the only actor who shows up in your category and you win, it’s not very prestigious. That’s more like the People’s Choice Awards than the Golden Globes we remember.