With wall-to-wall A-list celebrities, free-flowing champagne and a ‘raucous’ environment, the Golden Globes had been the ‘youthful, naughtier sibling’ of the Oscars, with stars clamouring to strut down the purple carpet in entrance of thousands and thousands of TV viewers around the globe.
However tonight’s 79th Golden Globes ceremony has seen the social gathering come to a screeching halt.
Years of mismanagement and alleged sexist and racist behaviour by its organising physique – the Hollywood Overseas Press Affiliation (HFPA) – has led to a Tinseltown boycott.
There will probably be no celebrities, no purple carpet and no prime-time present from the American TV large NBC. Most main PR corporations, apart from Sunshine Sachs – which ‘advises’ the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Basis – have blacklisted the occasion.
The occasion won’t even be live-streamed and Netflix has refused to permit the ceremony to air clips of its movies, together with The Energy Of The Canine, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, who’s favorite for the Finest Actor award, which will probably be couriered to him tomorrow if he wins.
There are not any presenters and the winners will probably be introduced by press launch on the finish of a 90-minute ‘socially distanced’ occasion within the Beverly Hilton Resort.
GONG: British star Olivia Colman (proper) in The Misplaced Daughter, is up for Finest Actress
‘There has by no means been an even bigger or extra dramatic fall from grace than the Globes,’ mentioned a producer from Hollywood large Disney. ‘It was once probably the most enjoyable night time of the yr. The booze flowed.
‘Whereas it had a critical facet as a result of whoever gained the Globe was often favorite to win the Oscar, everybody hated the HFPA. They behaved appallingly however they bought away with it as a result of successful a Globe added status to a film and translated into bucks on the field workplace.
‘However with no purple carpet, no press and no TV, it’s a must to say, ‘no level’.’
One other supply mentioned: ‘The social gathering’s over. The Globes was once the Oscars’ youthful, naughtier sibling however now they’ve been solid out from the Hollywood household. They’re poisonous.’
It’s understood the occasion will probably be attended by masked, vaccinated, socially distanced members of the HFPA plus ‘a handful of visitors from varied charities’. One former winner mentioned: ‘It sounds about as a lot enjoyable as a root canal surgical procedure.’
The occasion’s dramatic fall started final February when the Los Angeles Instances newspaper revealed not one of many HFPA’s 87 members was black.
Actress Scarlett Johansson then claimed she had been subjected to ‘sexist’ questions throughout HFPA occasions ‘which bordered on sexual harassment’.
‘SEXIST’ QUESTIONS: Actress Scarlett Johansson
There have been additionally allegations of corruption and bribery when it emerged 30 members took a 2019 journey to Paris and stayed in a £1,000-a-night lodge courtesy of Paramount, producers of the hit Netflix present Emily In Paris. The drama later acquired two nominations. Members routinely accepted ‘freebies’ from film studios and a few HFPA members weren’t ‘professional’ journalists.
The HFPA responded to the criticism by asserting sweeping modifications in Could final yr. President Ali Sar mentioned: ‘We stay devoted to changing into a greater organisation and an instance of range, transparency and accountability within the business.’
HFPA’s most up-to-date tax filings present it raised $32 million (£23.5 million) in 2019, however gave simply $5.9 million (£4.3 million) to charity. Regardless of the gloom, British stars are tipped to do nicely, though a supply mentioned: ‘Whether or not they brag about it as ordinary stays to be seen.’
In addition to Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman might win the Finest Actress gong for The Misplaced Daughter and Sir Kenneth Branagh is up for Finest Director for Belfast. Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick… Increase!) is shortlisted within the Finest Actor class and Irish actress Ruth Negga (Passing) is up for Finest Supporting Actress.
AWARD: The Golden Globe gong