Golden Globes: Tom Cruise returns his awards

Tom Cruise joins the protest against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and returns his three career Golden Globes

It’s stormy time in Hollywood. A storm that is involving the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, an association of journalists representing the US film industry and which each year decides the assignments of the Golden Globes. 86 members, none of them black, defined by many as a “caste”.

Following a diversity edition of the Oscars, the accusation by Hollywood is clear: the jury would not be able to modernize and adapt to the times, much less guarantee transparency and inclusiveness. Netflix started the protest (despite being the production company with the most Golden Globes nominations this year), closely followed by Amazon and WarnerMedia, and a group of over 100 agencies and public relations managers.

Tom Cruise joins the protest against the Golden Globes

Many Hollywood celebrities are making their voices heard about it. The last in chronological order was precisely Tom Cruise, who decided to make a strong gesture. The American actor ha indeed returned the three Golden Globes won during his career – for Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Jerry Maguire (1996) and Magnolia (1999).

Like him, other celebrities have made vitriolic statements. Between these, Mark Ruffalo:

It is disheartening to see that the HFPA, which has gained prominence and prestige from its involvement with directors and actors, resists the change it is being asked to make by many of the groups that have been penalized by its culture of secrecy and exclusion. It is time to right the wrongs of the past.

Also Scarlett Johansson did not hold back:

As an actress, when I promote a film I have to participate in the awards season by attending press conferences and awards. In the past, this has involved receiving sexist questions and comments from members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association bordering on sexual harassment. It is why, for many years, I have refused to attend their conferences. The Hollywood Foreign Press is an organization legitimized by figures like Harvey Weinstein to gain exposure to the Academy, and the industry has followed suit. Unless the necessary organizational reform is implemented, I believe we need to distance ourselves from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and focus on the importance and strength of unity within our unions and across industry.

La NBC cancella i Golden Globes

La NBC, in the meantime, has decided to officially cancel next year’s Golden Globes telecast, declaring:

We continue to believe that HFPA must promote meaningful reform. However, a change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we believe HFPA takes time to work on this process. So NBC will not broadcast the 2022 edition of the Golden Globes. In case the organization puts its plan into action, we hope to be able to broadcast the ceremony in January 2023.

In 2018, the broadcaster renewed its contract with Dick Clark Productions to broadcast the awards until 2026. It is currently unclear whether NBC will still have to pay the $ 60 million agreed for 2022 despite not airing the show, or if the contract is suspended.

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