Posted in: Awards Shows, NBC, TV | Tagged: golden globes, HFPA, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, mark ruffalo, nbc, scarlett johansson, tom cruise

NBC Cancels 2022 Golden Globes, Tom Cruise Cancels HFPA

Published Mon, 10 May 2021 15:15:12 -0500

by Tom Chang

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NBC threw the hammer down on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association canceling plans to air the Golden Globes in 2022 due to the organization's ongoing controversy surrounding its practices. "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." The HFPA, which hands out the awards, came under fire since a report came from the Los Angeles Times citing questionable financial practices and a substandard record on diversity and representation.

Universal Reportedly Circling the "Shoot Tom Cruise Into Space" Film — Tom Cruise at Universal Celebrates "The Mummy Day" With 75-Foot Sarcophagus Takeover At Hollywood And Highland in Hollywood, USA on May 20, 2017. Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com

In a follow-up report, HFPA planned on reforms to improve diversity in including more people of color within its ranks and sets new restrictions on gifts that the members could receive and payments for work on their committees. While the movement was initially encouraging, NBC execs were concerned that the HFPA hadn't set a timeline for change, and the network had seen no movement on how it might rethink its membership goals. NBC had wanted to see a comprehensive plan that included a doubling of the HFPA membership plus one — meaning that the number of new members would outweigh the old membership. The network came to its conclusion after not seeing the timeline come to fruition.

Not only have NBC and Dick Clark Productions balked at the upcoming Golden Globes, networks like Netflix, Amazon, and WarnerMedia all announced their boycott of the awards until HFPA can assure of said changes. Adding insult to injury, Tom Cruise is returning his three Golden Globes he won from the films Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Jerry Maguire (1996), and Magnolia (1999). The actor is the latest to join others that include Avengers stars Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo calling the industry to step back until HFPA implement reforms.