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– The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group behind the Golden Globes, announced Thursday that its members have approved a wide range of changes to improve the organization’s diversity and put it back in the good graces of the film industry. NBC, which had already withdrawn the awards for next year, released a statement saying it found the actions encouraging. “This marks a positive step forward and signals the HFPA’s willingness to do the work necessary for meaningful change,” the statement said. The press association has faced industry pressure amounting to a boycott for a Los Angeles Times Last year’s investigation found, among other things, that the group’s 87-member voting body did not include a single black person. One of the changes approved is to expand the membership to address the lack of diversity. The aim of the association is to put the awards ceremony back on the air in 2023.
The vote was 63-29, by the Times; approval required a two-thirds yes. The association’s board had threatened to resign if the new statutes were rejected, according to the hollywood reporter. The changes also address issues such as ethics, member conduct, finances, journalistic credentials and benefits, some of which had drawn criticism from the group for years. Gifts from studios and other industry players to members will be prohibited. A new general manager will be hired, as well as the directors of finance and human resources, as well as a director of diversity. Membership will be open to any journalist who wishes to join, and the decision to accept will be made by a panel composed mostly of non-members, according to the New York Times. The chairman of the board said the group had brought about “transformational change”, adding: “All of these promised reforms can serve as a benchmark for the industry and allow us once again to partner meaningfully with Hollywood.” (Read more stories about the Golden Globes.)
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