After scandal, Golden Globes pass into private hands and group of creators dissolves

The group of foreign journalists that created the Golden Globes, and which was the subject of a recent scandal, is disbanding now that the awards are being taken over by private investors such as US billionaire Todd Boelhy, it was announced Monday.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), made up of about a hundred entertainment writers linked to international publications, has awarded the Golden Globes to film and television stars for eight decades.

But accusations of corruption, racism and unethical practices led to a boycott of the association and the awards last year, and a call for change.

“This day marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the Golden Globes“, said Boehlywhose Eldridge company partnered with Penske Media Corporation to reach the deal.

The change of handswill result in the termination of the HFPA and its membership”, said a joint statement.

No timetable was announced for the dissolution of the HFPAbut in recent years the group that votes for the Golden Globes has expanded and diversified its composition.

Currently, a mix of members of the HFPA and non-association entertainment writers pick the winners.

Once the group is disbanded, its resources will be used to create a non-profit group that is focused on entertainment-related charity events.

This includes at least $44 of the $48 million the association will receive from the sale of the Golden Globesaccording to a letter from the California attorney general seen by AFP.

The Golden Globes They were originally created by Los Angeles-based foreign correspondents covering the entertainment industry in the 1940s.

In the 1990s, organizers amassed a lot of power in Hollywood through lucrative TV deals for the star-studded ceremony.

But in 2021, a Los Angeles Times report revealed that the HFPA had no black members, in addition to carrying out questionable practices. The following year, the American network NBC took the program off the air.

The ceremony returned to television this year, after changes, but ratings fell to a record 6.3 million viewers, and several of the biggest winners decided not to go.

There is no agreement for the television broadcast of next year’s ceremony, which should take place on January 7.

Businessman Boelhy He is also president of the Chelsea soccer club, of the English Premier League.

His Eldridge Industries company owns Dick Clark Productions, which produces the Golden Globes broadcast, and part of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, which hosts the ceremony.

He is also a minority owner of several Hollywood publications, including The Hollywood Reporter, and the independent film studio A24, behind award-winning films like “Everything everywhere at the same time” and “The whale”.