Who heads the Hollywood Foreign Press Association? Golden Globes' future uncertain without major overhaul
NBC has canceled the telecast of the Golden Globes 2022, the network announced via a statement on May 10, 2021. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) that hands out the awards will now have to decide if they will move ahead without its broadcasting partner of 26 years or if they will act swiftly to bring in the changes demanded by industry leaders regarding the organization's membership and processes.
“We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform,” NBC said in their statement. “However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right. As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes. Assuming the organization executes on its plan, we are hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023," they added.
RELATED ARTICLES
The statement came after HFPA released a structure of reforms they were planning to execute which included measures to diversify the organization. The 86-person committee didn't have a single Black voting member, it was revealed just ahead of the 2021 Golden Globes and the organization received major backlash for it.
A plethora of A-listers issued strong statements against HFPA and distanced themselves from them. Ava DuVernay, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, and now Tom Cruise have dissociated themselves for the organization and the entertainment awards show it organizes.
Who is the President of HFPA?
Ali Sar was appointed as the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in August 2020. He has been a member of the organization for over 35 years and has held a number of key positions with them. He was serving as the vice president under Lorenzo Soria, and upon his death, Sar replaced him.
HFPA has also been banned by streaming giants Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Netflix's co-CEO Ted Sarandos informed the organization that their plans to overhaul the organization following weeks of criticism for its lack of diversity weren't satisfactory.
Sar wanted to meet with Sarandos to "clarify some misinformation." He wrote a letter addressed to Sarandos on May 8. “We would love to meet with you and your team so we can review the very specific actions that are already in the works,” Sar wrote, adding, “An open dialogue would help to ensure that we are addressing these concerns as quickly as possible." He also emphasized that the organization valued their "relationship with Netflix as we seek to bring news about motion pictures and television to the world."
"We hear your concerns about the changes our association needs to make and want to assure you that we are working diligently on all of them,” his statement read.
HFPA reforms criticized by Netflix
Sar's letter was a response to a letter Sarandos had sent to HFPA on Thursday, May 6, after members voted to approve the board's proposal to overhaul the group. "We don’t believe 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,” Sarandos had written.
“So we’re stopping any activities with your organization until more meaningful changes are made. Netflix and many of the talent and creators we work with cannot ignore the HFPA’s collective failure to address these crucial issues with urgency and rigor," Sarandos's letter read. The HFPA’s plans have also been criticized by Time’s Up and GLAAD and they will have to be particular with executing the proposed reforms to avert further damage and impending downfall of the Golden Globes awards show, often seen as a warm-up event to the prestigious Academy Awards that have also been criticized for the lack of diversity when it came to honoring people of color in recent years.