US cable network NBC is the latest media giant to boycott the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) over a lack of diversity.
NBC, which has aired the Golden Globes awards ceremony since 1996, said it would not broadcast the show in 2022 and wants to see meaningful reform. WarnerMedia, Netflix and Amazon Studios have already refused to participate in HFPA-related events.
The Golden Globes are second only to the Oscars in terms of profile. The HFPA, whose members vote on the awards presented at the Golden Globes, has faced months of criticism stemming from a Los Angeles Times report back in February that revealed it had not had a single Black member for 20 years.
The non-profit put forward a plan for inclusion and reform. Time's Up, a leading advocate for industry reform, slammed the proposal as window-dressing platitudes with its president, Tina Tchen, saying: "Any organization or sponsors that set themselves up to pass judgment on our vibrant community of creators and talent must do better." Joining the chorus of outrage was actor Tom Cruise, who returned to the HFPA three Golden Globes he has won over the years, including two Best Actor statuettes for Jerry Maguire and Born on the Fourth of July.
Actor Scarlett Johansson has also joined criticism of the body behind the Golden Globe Awards over how it plans to tackle discrimination. "Unless there is necessary fundamental reform within the organisation,” she says, “I believe it is time that we take a step back from the HFPA and focus on the importance and strength of unity within our unions and the industry as a whole."
A nominee of five Golden Globes, she has also urged others in the film industry to boycott the organisation unless it makes significant internal changes.
