Yahoo Lifestyle Golden Globes acquired by Dick Clark Productions, HFPA membership dissolved in shocking move
In a shocking awards season shakeup, the Golden Globes have been acquired by Dick Clark Productions, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association membership is being dissolved.
The elimination of the embattled HFPA, a collection of international journalists who voted to bestow the annual Golden Globe awards, was announced Monday. A press release indicated that proceeds from the transaction "will transition into a newly formed Golden Globe Foundation which will continue the legacy HPFA's history of entertainment-related charitable giving," amid the "winddown of the HFPA and its membership," marking a historic end to one of the most highly publicized groups on the yearly awards season calendar.
"We are excited to close on this much anticipated member-approved transaction and transition from a member-led organization to a commercial enterprise," said the HFPA's president, Helen Hoehne, in a statement, while Dick Clark Productions CEO Jay Penske added that the company's "mission is to continue creating the most dynamic awards ceremony on live television viewed across the world" as he and his team work to "grow this iconic brand and captivate new and existing audiences to celebrate the very best in television and motion pictures."
Michael Tran/FilmMagic Golden Globes
A Golden Globes representative confirmed to EW that HFPA members set to be impacted by the dissolution will be converted into employees of a for-profit enterprise.
Though the Golden Globes evolved into one of the mightiest awards bodies on the circuit over the past eight decades, the HFPA and its relatively small membership of entertainment journalists was often criticized for a wide range of incidents, from the group's voting tactics to fawning over celebrities.
The HFPA's most recent controversy occurred in early 2021, when a Los Angeles Times exposé unveiled a searing report indicating there were no Black journalists among the organization's 87-person membership. A wave of celebrities and publicity agencies spoke out against the HFPA in the aftermath, and NBC eventually pulled the following year's broadcast. The Globes returned to the network in early 2023, after the HFPA implemented new measures, welcomed a diverse band of new members, and overhauled its inclusion standards. In April, the HFPA even welcomed 215 new members, bringing its voting base to 310 — its largest in recent history.
The 81st Golden Globes ceremony will take place Sunday, Jan. 7.
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