NBC announced it will not air the Golden Globes next year over concerns that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is not diverse enough.
The 86-member HFPA runs the Golden Globes award show, but it recently came under heavy leftist criticism for its lack of black members after a damning report by the Los Angeles Times.
Several woke companies—including Amazon, Netflix and WarnerMedia—have decided to boycott the HFPA, and high-profile actors such as Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson have slammed the organization as “sexist” and racist.
On Monday, Tom Cruise returned his two best-actor awards for Jerry McGuire and Born on the Fourth of July, as well as his best supporting actor statue for Magnolia, CNN reported.
As a result of the mob outcry, NBC, which was expected to broadcast next year’s awards ceremony, has decided to distance itself for now.
“We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform,” the company 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,” it continued. As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes.”
The network kept open the door for resuming its partnership when the dust finally settles on cancel culture‘s latest cause célèbre.
“Assuming the organization executes on its plan, we are hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023,” said the statement.
The embattled HFPA has also been criticized for accepting paid trips and other perks from studios.
The organization denied any wrongdoing and insisted that, contrary to leftists’ claims, its board is very diverse.
“None of these allegations has ever been proven in court or in any investigation, [and they] simply repeat old tropes about the HFPA and reflect unconscious bias against the HFPA’s diverse membership,” the group said in a statement.
However, the HFPA agreed to “reform” its board by expanding its membership by 50% over the next 18 months and making changes within its executive ranks.
“We understand that the hard work starts now and we remain dedicated to becoming a better organization and an example of diversity, transparency, and accountability in this industry,” the HFPA added.
The Golden Globes have been pulling record low ratings for the past few years. The 2021 show drew only 6.9 million viewers, down from 18.3 million in 2020.
But there is no guarantee that capitulating to the demands of Hollywood elites will do anything to resuscitate public interest.
The ceremony’s more prestigious counterpart, the Academy Awards, saw its own numbers plummet by 58% to a record-low viewership after it implemented new guidelines that required eligible films to meet specific diversity quotas.
The 2021 Oscars ceremony also earmarked extra time for socially-conscious award winners to express their political opinions, an opportunity that many availed themselves of.
Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.
