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Golden Globes Adjusts Payment Structure for Voting Members
On Friday, the organization behind the Golden Globes announced a significant change regarding the compensation of its voting members. The annual salary of $75,000 previously provided to former Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) members has been discontinued, as reported by TheWrap.
This announcement was made by Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne during a Zoom meeting with approximately 50 voting members on February 28. The decision took many by surprise, particularly those former HFPA members who had entered into a five-year contract with Penske Media Eldridge in June 2023. This agreement guaranteed them a salary for their roles as voters, facilitating a transition into the updated organizational framework.
In the meeting, Hoehne informed the members of a severance package amounting to $102,500. While these individuals will need to reapply for their accreditation annually, they will still have the opportunity to vote in the 2026 Golden Globes. However, moving forward, they will not receive any salary.
This latest change comes in the wake of previous criticisms regarding the compensation of voting members, which had raised concerns about potential biases in voting. The Golden Globes’ decision aligns with other prestigious awards, such as the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys, whose voting members also serve without financial compensation.
A spokesperson for the Golden Globes acknowledged to The Hollywood Reporter that ceasing payments recognizes that having a paid voting body might perpetuate perceptions of bias. They also stated that the severance package was consistent with the organization’s contractual responsibilities.
The background for this shift stems from significant scrutiny faced by the Golden Globes in 2021, when a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed the absence of Black members within the HFPA. This lack of diversity spurred strong reactions from notable figures in Hollywood, including director Ava DuVernay and producer Shonda Rhimes. The outcry resulted in the trending hashtag #TimesUpGlobes, which catalyzed a series of reforms within the organization.
Among the most significant changes is the transition from a nonprofit structure to a for-profit model, with the Golden Globes now an LLC under Penske Media Corporation. Furthermore, the voting body has expanded dramatically, growing from 87 members to over 300 members representing 85 different countries, thereby diversifying the perspectives within the voting audience.
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report on this development.
Source
www.thewrap.com