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The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) was a
nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
of
journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
s and
photographer A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who uses a camera to make photographs. Duties and types of photograp ...
s who reported on the American entertainment industry for predominantly foreign media markets. It is best known for founding and conducting the annual
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
ceremony in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, which honors notable achievements in film and television, from its inception in 1943 until 2023. The HFPA consisted of about 105 members from approximately 55 countries with a combined following of more than 250 million. HFPA was rebranded to
Golden Globe Foundation The Golden Globe Foundation is a nonprofit successor organization to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which previously owned and managed the Golden Globe Awards. The awards themselves are now owned and operated by Dick Clark Prod ...
on June 12, 2023.


History

The association was founded in 1943, by Los Angeles-based foreign journalists who wanted a more organized distributing process for cinema news to non-U.S. markets. The first Golden Globes awardees were for the cinema industry in early 1944 with a ceremony at
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
. There,
Jennifer Jones Jennifer Jones (born Phylis Lee Isley; March 2, 1919 – December 17, 2009), also known as Jennifer Jones Simon, was an American actress and mental-health advocate. Over the course of her career that spanned more than five decades, she was nomin ...
was awarded "Best Actress" honors for '' The Song of Bernadette,'' which also won for "Best Film", while
Paul Lukas Paul Lukas (born Pál Lukács; 26 May 1894 – 15 August 1971) was a Hungarian actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, for his performance in the film ''Wat ...
took home "Best Actor" laurels for ''
Watch on the Rhine ''Watch on the Rhine'' is a 1943 American drama film directed by Herman Shumlin and starring Bette Davis and Paul Lukas. The screenplay by Dashiell Hammett is based on the 1941 play '' Watch on the Rhine'' by Lillian Hellman. ''Watch on the Rh ...
''. Awards were presented in the form of scrolls. The following year members came up with the idea of presenting winners with a golden globe encircled with a strip of motion picture film and mounted on a pedestal. In 1950, differing philosophies among members caused a schism within the organization, resulting in a split into two separate groups: The Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association and the Foreign Press Association of Hollywood. The separation ended in 1955 when the journalists reunited under the collective title The Hollywood Foreign Press Association with firm guidelines and requirements for membership. In 1955, the Golden Globes began honoring achievements in television as well as in film. The first honorees in the "Best Television Show" category that year were ''
Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, television personality, and the chart-topping female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the ...
,'' '' Lucy & Desi,'' ''The American Comedy'' and ''
Davy Crockett Colonel (United States), Colonel David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American politician, militia officer and frontiersman. Often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier", he represented Tennesse ...
.'' After multiple controversies and attempts at reform, HFPA was rebranded to
Golden Globe Foundation The Golden Globe Foundation is a nonprofit successor organization to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which previously owned and managed the Golden Globe Awards. The awards themselves are now owned and operated by Dick Clark Prod ...
on June 12, 2023, and the assets related to the Golden Globes had been purchased by
Dick Clark Productions Dick Clark Productions, LLC (DCP, stylized in lowercase as dick clark productions or dcp) is an American multinational television production company founded by radio and TV host Dick Clark. The studio primarily produces Awards ceremony, award sh ...
and
Eldridge Industries Eldridge Industries, LLC is an American holding company headquartered in Miami, with offices in New York City, Greenwich, Connecticut, London, and Beverly Hills. Eldridge Industries makes investments in various industries including insurance, as ...
, with the proceeds going to a new non-profit created to continue the charitable giving of the HFPA. In December 2023, 64 former HFPA members (who had remained as Golden Globes voters) threatened to withhold their ballots after being informed they would not receive tickets to the Globes ceremony. At the 81st Golden Globe Awards in 2024, multiple celebrities thanked the now defunct organization. In February 2025, former HFPA members were informed they would no longer receive a yearly $75,000 payment from the Golden Globes Awards owners.


Membership criteria

Membership meetings were held monthly, and the officers and directors were elected annually. In February 2021, the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' reported that none of the HFPA members were black. In response, in early May 2021, the association announced a series of reforms aimed at increasing membership with a "specific focus on recruiting Black members," improving governance, and reducing conflicts of interest. Lorenzo Soria was elected President of Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 2019. Helen Hoehne was named President in September 2021.


Charity

The HFPA was a nonprofit organization that donated funds to entertainment-related charities. The Golden Globe Awards generated from its television broadcast each year. The HFPA hosted an annual grants banquet to distribute funds; was donated to nonprofits in 2015, leaving not being donated to any charities. According to the HFPA, from 1990 to 2015, over was donated to charity and used to fund scholarships and grants; this averaged less than per year. In 2019, the organization disbursed grants worth under from a total income of over . Funds have also been used to restore more than 90 films, including ''
King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...
'' (1933) and '' Woman on the Run'' (1950). With the winding down of the HFPA, its philanthropic activities transitioned to a new non-profit known as the
Golden Globe Foundation The Golden Globe Foundation is a nonprofit successor organization to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which previously owned and managed the Golden Globe Awards. The awards themselves are now owned and operated by Dick Clark Prod ...
.


HFPA Residency

In 2008, the HFPA announced its residency program in partnership with Film Independent. The program selects three winners from the Italian
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...
's Orizzonti section and three participants from Canada's
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
to Los Angeles for an intensive workshop. The 2019 residency fellows included Emir Baigazin, Mahmut F. Coskun, Georgia Fu, Maria Bozzi, Avril Z. Speaks, Rati Tsiteladze, and Cynthia Kao. The 2020 residency program winners were TIFF participants: ''All These Creatures'' by Australian Charles Williams, ''Misterio'' by Chema Garcia from Spain, and ''Measure'' by Canadian director Karen Chapman. This is in addition to Venice winners: ''Atlantis'', by Ukrainian Valentyn Vasyanovych, ''Blanco en Blanco'' by Spaniard Théo Court and Filipino Raymund Ribay Gutierrez. The 2021–22 residency fellows were: Maha Al-Saati (Saudi Arabia) ''Hair: The Story of Grass'', Jeff Wong (Canada) ''H'mong Sisters'', Alvaro Gago Diaz (Spain) ''Matria'', Ahmad Bahrami (Iran) ''The Wasteland'', Ana Rocha de Sousa (Portugal) '' Listen'', Ricky D'Ambrose (USA) ''The Cathedral'', Jose Maria Aviles (Ecuador) ''Al Oriente'', Sol Berruezo Pichon-Riviére (Argentina) ''Nuestros Dias Mas Felices'', Beatrice Baldacci (Italy) ''La Tana'',
Sahraa Karimi Sahraa Karimi (or Sughra Karimi; born 20 April 1981) is an Afghan film director who was the first female chairperson of the Afghan Film Organization (also known as Afghan Film). She has directed 30 short films, 3 documentary films and one ficti ...
(Afghanistan),
Rohena Gera Rohena Gera, born in 1973, is an Indian director, screenwriter and producer. Biography Rohena Gera studied at Stanford University and Sarah Lawrence College. She works as a scriptwriter for Indian cinema. She also engages in non-profit campai ...
(India), and Nuhash Humayun (Bangladesh). The 2023 residency program fellows were: Tahmini Raffaella (''Banu''), Monica Dugo (''Come le tartarughe''), Eldar Shibanov (''Mountain Onion''), Hanna Västinsalo (''Palimpsest''), Phumelele Mthembu (''African America''), and Soudade Kaadan (''Nezouh'').


Controversies


Membership and accusations of self-dealing

Although it counted some prominent journalists among its membership, since at least the 1990s, the HFPA has been accused of lax membership criteria, including accepting members with little or no journalistic background. A 1996 article in the ''Washington Post'' alleged that the majority of HFPA members were not full-time professional journalists, but rather part-time freelance writers for smaller publications as well as non-journalists, ranging from a college professor to an appliance salesman. An antitrust lawsuit was filed against the HFPA in August 2020 by a Norwegian journalist,
Kjersti Flaa Kjersti Flaa is a Norwegian junket reporter and journalist known for her promotional interviews with celebrities. In 2020, Flaa sued the Hollywood Foreign Press Association after it did not elect her as a member. Her suit was dismissed, but insp ...
, whose request for membership had been repeatedly rejected. She alleged that the group was operating as a
cartel A cartel is a group of independent market participants who collaborate with each other as well as agreeing not to compete with each other in order to improve their profits and dominate the market. A cartel is an organization formed by producers ...
that monopolized the market of foreign entertainment journalism, that she had been rejected as not to cannibalize other Scandinavian members, and that her inability to join was impacting her ability to gain their "exclusive" access to celebrities and junkets. On November 24, 2020, a federal court threw out the lawsuit, arguing that Flaa did not define the "market" that the HFPA was allegedly monopolizing, and that the HFPA was not subject to the right of
fair procedure Fair procedure is a common law doctrine that arises from a line of groundbreaking decisions of the Supreme Court of California dating back to the 1880s. Certain types of private actors (especially professional associations, unions, hospitals, and ...
, since engaging in an "activity of some interest to the public" was not the same as operating "in the public interest." An investigation by the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' in 2021 found that the HFPA regularly paid its members over annually for serving on various committees, which might jeopardize its status as a
tax-exempt Tax exemption is the reduction or removal of a liability to make a compulsory payment that would otherwise be imposed by a ruling power upon persons, property, income, or transactions. Tax-exempt status may provide complete relief from taxes, redu ...
non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
. The report noted that the association's small membership made it easier to sway than the significantly larger voting bodies of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...
(AMPAS) and the
Television Academy The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), also colloquially known as the Television Academy, is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the television industry in the United States. A 501(c)(6) non-profit or ...
. Members allegedly were offered
access Access may refer to: Companies and organizations * ACCESS (Australia), an Australian youth network * Access (credit card), a former credit card in the United Kingdom * Access Co., a Japanese software company * Access International Advisors, a hed ...
to actors and film sets, as well as expensive gifts, such as high-priced hotel stays and restaurant bookings. The investigation alleged that many of HFPA members are not journalists, and that established foreign journalists who apply are regularly rejected.


Black representation

In 2021, the HFPA faced criticism for the lack of
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
representation among its members; it was reported by the ''Los Angeles Times'' that the association had not had a new Black member since Meher Tatna, its former president, in 2002. ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' cited criteria requiring new members to have been sponsored by two current HFPA members as being a major roadblock towards recruiting new Black members, stating that "for a foreign journalist based in Los Angeles, building relationships with this small group, which are largely unknown to the public, is difficult due to its tight and exclusive membership policies. More transparency would help alleviate the public perception that the group doesn't seek to be inclusive." Ahead of the
78th Golden Globe Awards The 78th Golden Globe Awards honored the best in American television of 2020, as well as film in 2020 and early 2021, as chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). The ceremony took place on February 28, 2021, nearly two months ...
, Time's Up launched a social media campaign to draw attention to the issue. On February 25, 2021, the HFPA stated that it was "fully committed to ensuring our membership is reflective of the communities around the world who love film, TV and the artists inspiring and educating them" and that it planned to "immediately work to implement an action plan" to "bring in Black members, as well as members from other underrepresented backgrounds." The HFPA stated that over 35 percent of its members were
people of color The term "person of color" (: people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is associated with, the United States. From th ...
from non-European countries, but it was aware that none of its current members were Black. On March 9, 2021, the HFPA announced that it had hired Shaun R. Harper, executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center, as its new "strategic diversity officer," and hired
Ropes & Gray Ropes & Gray LLP is an American multinational law firm with 14 U.S., Asia, and Europe offices. The firm has over 1,500 lawyers and professionals worldwide, its clients include corporations, financial institutions, government agencies, universitie ...
to "support the continued development of a confidential reporting system for investigating alleged violations of our ethical standards and code of conduct." In April 2021, former HFPA president Philip Berk was expelled after he emailed fellow members an article that described
Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...
as a "racist hate movement" and slammed organizer
Patrisse Cullors Patrisse Marie Khan-Cullors Brignac (née Cullors-Brignac; born June 20, 1983) is an American activist, artist, and writer who co-founded the Black Lives Matter movement. Cullors created the hashtag in 2013 and has written and spoken widely abo ...
for purchasing a home in an upscale neighborhood.


Attempts at reforms, boycotts

On May 3, 2021, the HFPA announced plans for a reform package, including a 50 percent increase in members over the next 18 months with a particular focus on underrepresented groups (with at least 20 new members over the next year, which would have a focus on new Black members), new professional administrative positions (including a
CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...
,
CFO A chief financial officer (CFO) is an officer of a company or organization who is assigned the primary responsibility for making decisions for the company for projects and its finances; i.a.: financial planning, management of financial risks, re ...
, chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer, and
chief human resources officer A chief human resources officer (CHRO) or chief people officer (CPO) is a corporate officer who oversees all aspects of human resource management and industrial relations policies, practices and operations for an organization. Similar job titles i ...
), establishing an oversight board for a "critical organizational reform," and other accountability improvements (including term limits for board members and restricting internal "gifts"). The majority of the HFPA's members voted in favor of the package on May 6; due to California law, the changes to the organization's bylaws are subject to further votes by the HFPA's full membership scheduled in June and July. While
Dick Clark Productions Dick Clark Productions, LLC (DCP, stylized in lowercase as dick clark productions or dcp) is an American multinational television production company founded by radio and TV host Dick Clark. The studio primarily produces Awards ceremony, award sh ...
and
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
—the long-time producer and broadcaster of the Golden Globes respectively—supported the planned reforms, Time's Up and a group of 100 PR firms criticized the lack of given timelines for filling some of the new management positions, arguing that they would not be completed soon enough to have any material impact on the cycle of the next Golden Globes. Time's Up further argued that the package "largely contains no specifics" nor "commitments to real accountability or change." On May 7, 2021, both
Amazon Studios Amazon MGM Studios is an American film and television production and distribution company owned by Amazon, and headquartered at the Culver Studios complex in Culver City, California. Launched on November 16, 2010, it took its current name on O ...
and
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
announced that they would stop their activities with the HFPA until sufficient actions on reforms are made. Netflix co-CEO
Ted Sarandos Theodore Anthony Sarandos Jr. (born July 30, 1964) is an American business executive who has been the co-chief executive officer of Netflix since 2020. Early life and education Sarandos was born on July 30, 1964, at Monmouth Medical Cente ...
explained that the company " oesn'tbelieve these proposed new policies—particularly around the size and speed of membership growth—will tackle the HFPA's systemic diversity and inclusion challenges, or the lack of clear standards for how your members should operate." On May 10, AT&T-owned
WarnerMedia Warner Media, LLC (Trade name, doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational corporation, multinational mass media and show business, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 ...
and its subsidiaries similarly boycotted the HFPA, stating that the proposed reforms " on't gofar enough in addressing the breadth of our concerns, nor does your timeline capture the immediate need by which these issues should be addressed," and also criticizing "special favors and unprofessional requests
hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
have been made to our teams and to others across the industry," the lack of diversity among Golden Globe nominees and winners, and the HFPA not having an "enforced code of conduct that includes zero tolerance for unwanted physical contact of all talent and staff." The same day, NBC announced that it would not broadcast the
79th Golden Globe Awards The 79th Golden Globe Awards honored the best in 2021 in film, film and 2021 in American television, American television of 2021, as chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). The ceremony took place privately on January 9, 2022 ...
ceremony in 2022, stating that "change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right," and that "we are hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023." In support of the boycotts,
Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and film producer. Regarded as a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood icon, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Tom Cruise, various accolades, includ ...
returned the Golden Globes that he won for ''
Born on the Fourth of July ''Born on the Fourth of July'', published in 1976, is the best-selling autobiography by Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran who became an anti-war activist. Kovic was born on July 4, 1946, and his book's ironic title echoed a famous line ...
'', ''
Jerry Maguire ''Jerry Maguire'' is a 1996 American sports comedy-drama film directed and written by Cameron Crowe. It was produced by Crowe and James L. Brooks for Gracie Films and distributed by TriStar Pictures. It stars Tom Cruise as the titular spor ...
'' and ''
Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...
''. Following these events, the HFPA released a new timeline for its reforms, which would see the process completed by the week of August 2. On October 1, the HFPA released a list of 21 new members that it had recruited under these reforms, increasing its membership by 20 percent. The HFPA then announced on October 15 that it still planned to hold the 79th Golden Globe Awards ceremony anyway, with or without a U.S. broadcaster. The ceremony was ultimately held as a private event with only HFPA beneficiaries present, and contained a major focus on its philanthropic activities. In July 2022, the HFPA approved a major restructuring, under which interim CEO
Todd Boehly Todd Boehly (; born September 20, 1973) is an American businessman. He is the co-founder, chairman, chief executive officer and controlling member of Eldridge Industries, a holding company headquartered in Miami, Florida, and chairman of asset ma ...
would establish a for-profit entity via his holding company
Eldridge Industries Eldridge Industries, LLC is an American holding company headquartered in Miami, with offices in New York City, Greenwich, Connecticut, London, and Beverly Hills. Eldridge Industries makes investments in various industries including insurance, as ...
(owner of ceremony producer Dick Clark Productions, as well as the entertainment trade publication ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'') that will hold the Golden Globe Awards' intellectual property and oversee the "professionalization and modernization" of the ceremony, including " ncreasingthe size and diversity of the available voters for the annual awards." The HFPA's philanthropic activities would continue separately as a non-profit entity, the
Golden Globe Foundation The Golden Globe Foundation is a nonprofit successor organization to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which previously owned and managed the Golden Globe Awards. The awards themselves are now owned and operated by Dick Clark Prod ...
. HFPA was rebranded to
Golden Globe Foundation The Golden Globe Foundation is a nonprofit successor organization to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which previously owned and managed the Golden Globe Awards. The awards themselves are now owned and operated by Dick Clark Prod ...
on June 12, 2023.


References


External links


hfpa.org
(2019 archive) {{Authority control American film critics associations Culture of Hollywood, Los Angeles 1943 establishments in California 2023 disestablishments in California - Organizations established in 1943 Organizations disestablished in 2023 Non-profit organizations based in California Non-profit organizations based in the United States