The Golden Globes have returned to television. Will anyone notice? That could be the most shocking revelation from this year’s broadcast.
The scandal-plagued awards show, produced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association since 1944, returns to NBC and Peacock on Tuesday, a year after the network dropped the broadcast amid reports about the organization’s lack of diversity.
Ratings will soon reveal whether or not fans are interested. Tom Cruise returned his Globes in protest of the HFPA, and others vowed to boycott the organisation until its membership was more diverse. As a result, it’s unclear whether the Globes are a reliable predictor of the industry’s most important award: the Oscars.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 80th Golden Globe Awards, which will air on NBC and Peacock.
Although the Golden Globes are usually broadcast on a Sunday night, this year’s awards will be broadcast on a Tuesday due to a scheduling conflict with Sunday Night Football:
When and where to watch: Tuesday, 8 p.m. EST/ 5 p.m. PST on NBC and Peacock. The pre-show will be available at goldenglobes.com at 6:30 p.m. EST.
What was the source of the awards’ controversy? The Los Angeles Times reported in February 2021 that none of the HFPA’s 87 voting journalists were Black. This was in addition to the HFPA largely ignoring critically acclaimed projects by artists of colour at the 2021 Golden Globe Awards, prompting NBC to withdraw.
What happened at the 2022 Academy Awards? The 2022 pandemic-era Globes took place without an audience or nominees after three-time winner Cruise returned his trophies in protest and studios and publicists threatened a boycott of the organisation.
Who is hosting the Golden Globes this year?
While the Oscars are usually held in a glamorous setting, the Globes are more akin to your cousin’s alcohol-fueled roast. Stars get up and mingle between bites, sips, and awards at the show’s casual setting at the Beverly Hilton.
Guests have included the flamboyant comedian Ricky Gervais and the snarky duo Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. This year’s host is Black stand-up comedian Jerrod Carmichael, who came out as gay last year, in one of several nods to the HFPA’s lack of diversity.
Who has been nominated for a Golden Globe? And who is the favourite to win?
The tragicomedy “The Banshees of Inisherin” has eight nominations, followed by the action thriller “Everything Everywhere All At Once” with six, and the Hollywood saga “Babylon” and Steven Spielberg’s genesis story “The Fabelmans” with five each.
Will Viola Davis win best actress for her African female warrior epic “The Woman King” (over “Tar” star Cate Blanchett)? “? Will Austin Butler be recognised for his performance as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in “Elvis”? Will “Top Gun: Maverick” win despite a snub for its star, Tom Cruise?
Brendan Fraser, perhaps? He’s been nominated for his emotional and transformative performance as an overweight teacher in “The Whale,” but he won’t be there. Fraser announced his decision not to attend the awards after accusing former HFPA president Philip Berk of groping him at an HFPA luncheon in 2003. Berk was fired in 2021 for calling Black Lives Matter a “hate movement” in a tweet.
Eddie Murphy, a comedy legend, will receive this year’s honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. The Carol Burnett Award goes to producer and showrunner Ryan Murphy, who has worked on shows ranging from “Nip/Tuck” to “American Crime Story.”
Who will be presenting at the Golden Globes this year?
The HFPA promises more equity this year, at least in terms of presenters. They include Ana de Armas (Blonde’s Latina star), Tracy Morgan, Billy Porter, Colman Domingo, and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, the first transgender actor to win a Globe (for “Pose” in 2022) “).
Other announced presenters include Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana Gasteyer, Natasha Lyonne of “Orange Is the New Black,” Nicole Byer of Netflix reality show “Nailed It!” bake-off, Niecy Nash-Betts of “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” and director Quentin Tarantino.
Why are the Golden Globes so contentious?
The Oscars have been accused of being racist in their award distribution, with the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite trending in 2015 after all 20 acting nominations went to white actors. However, the Globes faced an even greater backlash for being exclusionary, with actors like Scarlett Johansson and studios like Netflix urging the industry to refuse to work with the HFPA until it becomes more diverse.
The HFPA, which had promised to improve its representation, announced the addition of 21 new members in October 2021. Six were Black, six were Latinx, five were Asian, and four were Middle Eastern/North African.
The lingering question is who will show up, and will any of them address the controversy and the HFPA’s handling of it? That alone should make for some exciting red carpet viewing.
