The Hollywood Foreign Press Association faced extreme scrutiny after it was revealed they had zero Black members.
Despite extreme scrutiny, the show will go on. In a feature piece for Vanity Fair, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's recently elected president, Helen Hoehne, shares why the organization has decided to still have an awards ceremony next year, despite it not being televised due to the backlash it has received after it was revealed they didn't have any Black members.
Hoehne tells the publication that not having the event was never an option as it would break a 78-year-old tradition. "I can say with confidence that it’s not going to be the regular award show,” she admits. "We realize that this is not the tone this year, so we are taking a humble approach for 2022 -- we’re just honoring the people we think showed most excellence in 2021."
"Sometimes it takes a hard wake-up call to change,” adds Hoehne, with Vanity Fair noting that she agrees that much HFPA criticism was justified. "But then when you make the changes, I think everyone deserves a second chance."
Hoehne is calling this "the new HFPA 2.0," and notes the changes that have been made after the organization was called out by Hollywood, with some celebrities even returning their Golden Globe awards altogether.
Such changes include six Black journalists coming on as new members, with the intention of adding more people of color. The HFPA also has an updated code of conduct, the addition of a chief diversity officer onto the board of directors, advisory board, and the credentials committee, and a five-year partnership with the NAACP.
Despite their best efforts, the HFPA has an uphill battle to win back Hollywood. In May, NBCUniversal announced they will not air the 2022 Golden Globes amid all the ongoing controversy.
"We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform," NBCUniversal said in a statement at the time. "However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right. As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes."
In a separate statement, the HFPA responded, "Regardless of the next air date of the Golden Globes, implementing transformational changes as quickly -- and as thoughtfully -- as possible remains the top priority for our organization."
The HFPA found themselves in hot water ahead of this year's Golden Globes in February when the Los Angeles Times revealed that the HFPA had no Black members amid its voting body of international journalists. During the Golden Globes telecast, three high-ranking members took the stage to directly address the issue, and the organization later promised 13 percent Black members within the year.
A number of stars, including hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and Golden Globe winner Sacha Baron Cohen, called out the HFPA during the show itself. Afterward, the HFPA continued to come under fire from publicists, studios and more stars, including Tom Cruise, Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo.
The untelevised Golden Globes will take place on Jan. 9, 2022, and the nominations will be announced on Dec. 13.
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