New Categories and Lack of Real Change Highlight Golden Globes’ Waning Relevance

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the voting organization behind The Golden Globes awards, is no stranger to controversy. Scandal after scandal haunts the organization like a relentless ghost. Accusations range from corruption to sexual assault.

In a recent interview with GQ, Actor Brendan Fraser alleges former HFPA president Philip Berk sexually assaulted him in 2003. This led to the actor skipping the awards in 2023 when his performance in The Whale scored him a nomination. Its most recent scandal, a 2021 investigation by the Los Angeles Times, exposed the non-profit organization for having no Black voting members among the 86 journalists and photographers that make up the HFPA. This led to NBC no longer airing the ceremony on their network. 

Despite the overwhelming bad press and shocking accusations, none of this has prompted the HFPA to implement effective reform. Sure, the HFPA partnered up with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as a response to the L.A. Times exposé, ostensibly to rehabilitate the organization. However, it felt more like a PR move to salvage what was left of the HFPA’s reputation after NBC’s announcement about cutting the Golden Globes live coverage. It felt disingenuous and makes their most recent announcement feel like a confirmation of this. 

In recent, somewhat embarrassing news, the HFPA announced two new categories to their awards lineup: Golden Globe for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement and Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy. An argument could be made for the stand-up comedy category despite their already long-standing categories of comedy and musicals. “Could” is the operative word here. No, the real issue is the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award.

According to the HFPA, “motion pictures are eligible for the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award if they achieve a box office receipt total/gross of $150 million, of which $100 million must come from the U.S. domestic box office, and/or obtain commensurate digital streaming viewership recognized by trusted industry sources.” Now, you may ask yourself, is the overall sales of a film not reward enough for a film’s achievement?

The answer is yes, and the HFPA knows that. And yet, they’re determined to do everything but change their organization in good faith towards artistic empowerment, perhaps by implementing a gender-neutral category for gender-nonconforming artists or redefining genres that fit dual categories like drama/comedy—anything that demonstrates the organization’s commitment to being defined by their work as journalists and not look like opportunists. 

Instead, they continue to cement their organization and awards as the popularity contest they’ve always been seen as. It’s no secret that these awards are based on monetary value rather than artistic merit. The Golden Globes have always been considered the “lesser than” of all other creative awards, and that’s saying a lot. It’s where stars get boozed up and mill around with one another in beautiful gowns. Over the years, the ceremony has only dulled in whatever prestige it once held. This recent development of two obscure and, quite frankly, unnecessary award categories only serves as a proverbial nail in this particular coffin of relevance.

Do we need the Golden Globes? The HFPA seems to think so in this desperate, last-ditch effort to remain relevant by awarding dollar signs rather than artistry. 

(featured image: Getty/George Pimentel/WireImage)