It looks as though The Golden Globes will be making a comeback on NBC.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the controversial awards will be returning to NBC after taking a year off the air.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which runs the awards, came under fire before the 79th annual ceremony when it was revealed that the HFPA included zero black people among its 87 members. It was also accused of unethical conduct and suspicious financial practices.
NBC later announced it would not air the 2022 awards due to the HFPA’s failure to reform its controversial business practices. The ceremony went ahead as a private, untelevised event, with The Power of the Dog taking the best movie drama prize, and West Side Story taking the best musical or comedy movie award.
“We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform,” NBC said in a 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.”
Worse still, former winner, Tom Cruise returned his three Golden Globes due to the controversy. He previously won Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for 1996’s Jerry Maguire, Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for 1989’s Born on the Fourth of July, and Best Supporting Actor for 1999’s Magnolia.
Now, it sounds as though the Golden Globes are back with a return on January 10, 2023.
The Golden Globes have run every year since 1996, with the exception of last year. The return of the awards this year marks a significant moment for the HFPA which has passed major reforms since the cancellation of last year’s awards.
Members are now banned from accepting gifts and the HFPA has removed a cap on new members, allowing them to add 21 new members last year in order to improve diversity. However, even these changes come with some caveats.
None of the incumbent members were weeded out when accreditation standards were made stricter. The organization also angered many by still going ahead with the 2021 awards despite no stars attending or it being broadcast in any way.
Whether or not the HFPA has done enough to win over the public remains to be seen. But for now, at least, the Golden Globes are back. Which stars will attend the ceremony following the upheaval is another question entirely.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Thumbnail credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Hollywood Foreign Press Association