The five biggest controversies to hit the Golden Globes awards

The Golden Globes awards return this weekend for their 81st edition – the first to be held since the disbanding of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the ceremony’s scandal-plagued former organizers.

The Golden Globes are now run by Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge Industries, which took full control of the event from the HFPA in June.

In addition, the awards’ TV coverage has moved to CBS, after the Globes’ many controversies – coupled with the gala’s poor 2023 ratings – persuaded long-time broadcaster NBC to cut ties.

But what are the scandals that have left the Golden Globes’ organizers working to repair the ceremony’s reputation? We take a look at five key ignominious episodes that have rocked the TV and film awards.

Boycott due to lack of diversity

The most recent major controversy was the failure to broadcast the Golden Globes in 2022. NBC, which had aired the event since 1996, refused to broadcast the 79th edition of the show in the wake of an entertainment industry boycott sparked by revelations in the Los Angeles Times.

In 2021, the newspaper revealed details about the HFPA, including the fact that the body had no Black members. What’s more, the LA Times noted that the HFPA had engaged in unethical conduct and suspicious financial practices.

NBC returned as broadcaster in 2023, but then ended its partnership with the Golden Globes.

Resignation of HFPA chief

Other significant controversies in the history of the awards include the 1958 resignation of HFPA president Henry Gris, who stepped down from the organization’s board, pointing out that certain awards were given as favors. That year, the clients of a single ad firm won the most Golden Globes.

Prizes bought?

Although actress Pia Zadora tried to establish herself as a Hollywood star in Butterfly, some questioned her acting ability. Indeed, in 1982 she received the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst New Star. However, she was also awarded the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year.

According to the LA Times, Meshulam Riklis, a wealthy businessman and Zadora’s husband at the time, took HFPA members to Las Vegas for a leisure trip a few weeks before the vote, leading many to harbor doubts about Zadora’s victory.

Those suspicions were heightened in 2011, when rumors surfaced that HFPA members had been convinced with trips to Las Vegas and a private concert to nominate Burlesque for Best Picture.

Bribery in the HFPA

Three days before the 2011 Golden Globes, former HFPA publicist Michael Russell filed a $2 million lawsuit, alleging that members of the group “abused their positions and engaged in unethical and potentially illegal deals, equivalent to a ‘pay to play’ scheme.”

Fraser skips awards over sexual assault claims

In a 2018 interview, actor Brendan Fraser told GQ that former HFPA chairman Philip Berk sexually assaulted him during a 2003 Hollywood Foreign Press lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel. As a result, the actor decided not to attend the 2023 ceremony, despite being nominated for Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture, explaining that his mother “did not raise a hypocrite”.

When and where are the 81st Golden Globes?

The 2024 Golden Globes are to take place at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday 7 January 2024. The event is scheduled to get underway at 8pm ET/5pm PT.

Viewers in the United States will be able to watch live on CBS and the network’s streaming platform, Paramount+.