The membership of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has approved its board’s plans to radically change the organization behind the Golden Globes.
Sources tell Variety that the membership voted on the proposals earlier Thursday. Seventy-two members voted to approve the board’s plan, and three members voted against it.
“Today’s overwhelming vote to reform the Association reaffirms our commitment to change,” HFPA president Ali Sar said in a statement. “That’s why we’ve already taken some action that will allow us to make swift progress. Because we understand the urgency and issue of transparency, we will be continuously updating the members as we move forward in making our organization more inclusive and diverse. Again, we understand that the hard work starts now. We remain dedicated to becoming a better organization and an example of diversity, transparency and accountability in the industry.”
In a letter to its membership on Monday, the board introduced a plan to increase the number of people of color in its ranks. The plan also includes new restrictions on gifts that the members could receive and payments for work on their committees.
The moves come after weeks of scrutiny aimed at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Just before the Golden Globes, the Los Angeles Times published an exposé that reported there hadn’t been a Black member of the HFPA in at least 20 years. A group consisting of Hollywood’s most powerful publicists warned the HFPA that they would advise their clients not to work with the HFPA until it proved it was going to implement serious changes.
The board of the HFPA, made up of fewer than 90 people, said it wants to admit 20 new members in 2021, with a specific focus on recruiting Black members. It wants to increase the ranks by 50% over the next 18 months, with a stated goal of recruiting members from underrepresented groups. It’s unclear if the new measures will be enough to quell the firestorm that threatens to engulf the group and end one of the entertainment industry’s most-watched awards shows.
Dick Clark Productions, which produces the Globes, also issued a statement after the vote. “We are pleased to see the members of the HFPA commit to this plan. It’s a big step in the right direction as they now turn to taking immediate steps to implement,” the statement reads. “The external advisors and many advocacy groups who have come to the table for an open dialogue are a vital part of the reimagination of the organization as we all march toward a more inclusive and transparent future.”
