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Amid Outcry, NBC Says it Will Not Air Golden Globes in 2022

Associated Press

   NEW YORK - Amid growing pressure on the Hollywood Foreign Press
   Association from studios, stars and large swaths of the film industry,
   NBC said Monday that will not air the Golden Globes in 2022, putting in
   doubt the viability of one of Hollywood's oldest and most-watched award
   shows.

   In a statement, the network said it believes the press association --
   which is facing possible boycotts from Netflix, Warner Bros. and many
   Hollywood actors -- is committed to reform.

   "However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel
   strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right," the network said.
   "As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes. Assuming the
   organization executes on its plan, we are hopeful we will be in a
   position to air the show in January 2023."

   The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, long a subject of ridicule
   from even its own telecast hosts, has come under fire following an
   investigative report in February by The Los Angeles Times that
   recounted the organization's questionable record on diversity --
   including, presently, no Black members among its 87 voting members.

   The press association has pledged to thoroughly reform itself, and last
   week approved a plan to, among other things, diversity its membership.
   But that hasn't stopped several studios from threatening to pull out of
   the Globes.

   Last week, Netflix and Amazon Studios both said they would cut ties
   with the HFPA if it didn't swiftly enact more drastic reforms.

   "We don't believe these proposed new policies -- particularly around
   the size and speed of membership growth -- will tackle the HFPA's
   systemic diversity and inclusion challenges, or the lack of clear
   standards for how your members should operate," Netflix co-chief
   executive Ted Sarandos wrote in a letter to the group.

   In a letter sent Sunday and shared with reporters Monday, WarnerMedia
   said it would cease holding screenings and other events for the HFPA
   until it made more substantial changes.

   "For far too long, demands for perks, special favors and unprofessional
   requests have been made to our teams and to others across the
   industry," WarnerMedia executives said in a letter. "We regret that as
   an industry, we have complained, but largely tolerated this behavior
   until now."

   The outcry against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has gathered
   force over the last six weeks, as a film industry where racial and
   gender inequity long went unchecked has grown newly intolerant of the
   ways of the group, made up of mostly little-known journalists who
   profit considerably from the annual telecast.
   FILE - Scarlett Johansson arrives at the 77th annual Golden Globe
   Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., Jan. 5,
   2020.

   Increasingly, Hollywood has abandoned the HFPA. A group of 100
   entertainment publicity firms has also said they would urge their
   clients to skip HFPA functions. Mark Ruffalo, a winner this year, said
   he "cannot feel proud or happy about being a recipient of this award"
   any longer. Scarlett Johansson said HFPA press conferences for her
   "meant facing sexist questions and remarks by certain HFPA members that
   bordered on sexual harassment."
   FILE - Actor Tom Cruise holds his Golden Globe award for Best
   Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Drama
   for his role in "Magnolia" at the Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills,
   Calif., January 2000.

   On Monday, Deadline Hollywood reported that Tom Cruise returned his
   three Globes to HFPA headquarters. (A publicist for Cruise didn't
   immediately respond to requests for comment.)

   The Hollywood Foreign Press Association didn't immediately comment
   Monday on NBC's announcement. Last week, it ratified plans to add at
   least 20 new members this year "with a specific focus on recruiting
   Black members" and with a goal of increasing membership 50% over the
   next 18 months.

   For some, that timeline wasn't aggressive enough. In the next few
   months, several potential awards-contending films are set to premiere
   at film festivals and elsewhere. Tina Tchen, president and chief
   executive of Time's Up, called the HFPA's pledges "window-dressing
   platitudes."

   "These measures ensure that the current membership of the HFPA will
   remain in the majority and that the next Golden Globe Awards will be
   decided with the same fundamental problems that have existed for
   years," said Tchen.

   The Globes, produced by Dick Clark Productions, have suffered ratings
   drops in recent years but still rank among the most-watched award shows
   -- usually third to the Oscars and the Grammys. The 78th Golden Globes,
   held February 28, attracted 6.9 million viewers, a 63% drop from the
   2020 telecast, watched by 18.4 million.