The Golden Globes returns to NBC tonight after years of controversy and scandals, starting ahead of the 2022 ceremony when the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group behind the awards, was accused of lacking diversity.
A damning Times investigation of the organisation found that of the 87 people in the voting body, there were no black members and only a handful worked for notable foreign publications.
The revelation came after the 2021 nominees were announced with countless fans and A-list stars alike voicing their disdain that many black-led projects were seemingly overlooked.
Following the backlash, the HFPA voted to approve major changes within the organization but this didn’t shift public opinion much as a number of celebrities spoke out against the awards.
Tom Cruise returned the three Golden Globe statuettes he had received over his career and Scarlett Johanson accused some HFPA members of behaviour that “bordered on sexual harassment” according to a statement obtained by Deadline at the time.
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NBC, who live streams the show to audiences at home, announced the awards would not be televised in January 2022 as expected but still voiced support for the HFPA amid its reforms.
The previous year saw the Golden Globes, like many other awards shows, struggling to adapt during the pandemic as many winners shared their acceptance speeches over video calls from their own homes.
With the HFPA reforms and lockdown regulations now in the rearview mirror, viewers believed they would enjoy a smooth sailing awards ceremony at the start of 2023.
However, when beloved Hollywood star Brendan Fraser made his sensational return to mainstream cinema in The Whale last year he also dropped another bombshell accusation against the HFPA.
The Mummy star accused the former HFPA president, Philip Berk, of sexually assaulting him in 2003. Philip has since denied the allegations.
Brendan boycotted the awards last January despite earning his first-ever nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama.
The Hollywood star brutally declared during a conversation with GQ ahead of the awards show that he would be skipping it “because of the history that I have with them. And my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite.”