Golden Globe awards set for Sunday, Covid forces exclusion of viewers and media

By PTI

LOS ANGELES: The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) is shifting forward with the 2022 version of Golden Globe Awards on January 9 however the occasion will probably be with out viewers or media in attendance because of the rising instances of Covid variant Omicron.

Select HFPA members and philanthropists will probably be in attendance as this 12 months’s nominees are feted, and winners revealed.

“Over the past 25 years, the HFPA has donated $50 million to more than 70 entertainment-related charities, film restoration, scholarship programs and humanitarian efforts; incredibly impactful organizations, many of whom were hit hard over the last two years as a result of the pandemic,” the HFPA stated in a press release.

The HFPA additionally plans to make use of the occasion as a chance to redress ongoing variety considerations that the organisation has been dealing with for some time now.

“During the program, Kyle Bowser, Senior Vice President of the NAACP Hollywood Bureau, will further discuss the ‘Reimagine Coalition,’ a joint five-year initiative to increase diversity, equity and inclusion across the global entertainment industry,” the HFPA stated.

“Each year the HFPA and the NAACP Hollywood Bureau will collaborate on, fund, and support a series of trailblazing initiatives, with the overall goals of ensuring visibility of projects from artists of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds; increasing diverse representation in the industry; and building pathways to inclusion for young artists and journalists of color,” the affiliation added within the assertion.

Attendees are required to have proof of vaccination and a booster shot together with a destructive PCR take a look at within the final 48 hours earlier than the entry to the occasion.

All friends will probably be masked and socially distanced always inside the ballroom.

There will probably be no crimson carpet, and no media credential requests will probably be accepted.

Over the final eight months, the HFPA has utterly overhauled its bylaws, implementing sweeping adjustments from prime to backside that handle ethics and code of conduct, variety, fairness and inclusion, governance, membership, and extra.

Recently, the HFPA admitted their largest and most numerous class so far of 21 new members, all of whom are first-time Golden Globe voters,” the organisation stated in a launch, posted on its official web site.

The HFPA, which consists of US-based worldwide journalists, has been on the centre of criticism after an investigative report by The Los Angeles Times final 12 months revealed lack of illustration of Black and feminine members in its ranks, accusations of self-dealing and different points, resulting in extreme criticism from Hollywood stars to manufacturing corporations.