Sunshine Sachs, the longtime PR firm for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, has dropped the organization behind the Golden Globe as a client, Variety has confirmed.
The PR firm has represented the HFPA since 2011, but the Golden Globes organization has been under fire since early 2021 when the Los Angeles Times reported that the HFPA had no Black members and that it had participated in unethical business practices. The HFPA pledged to undergo sweeping reforms, diversify and expand its membership, restrict paid travel and accepted gifts and revamp its bylaws. Even so, NBC pulled out as the broadcaster for the 2022 Golden Globes, and this year’s winners were announced on the Golden Globes’ Twitter account. The 2022 ceremony put an emphasis on the Golden Globes’ philanthropic partners and efforts, and HFPA President Helen Hoehne revealed in a letter obtained by Variety that she invited celebrities to participate in the awards show like normal years, but many did not accept the offer.
In the early stages of the HFPA’s ongoing controversy last year, 102 PR firms sent the organization a letter demanding “profound and lasting change.” Sunshine Sachs was not among the signees, but sources say the firm is supportive of the HFPA’s reforms.
An HFPA spokesperson responded with a statement, saying the move was mutual. “The HFPA’s decade-long relationship with Sunshine Sachs has provided invaluable service in representing the Association, its members, and the Golden Globes. The Association is thankful for the collaboration. Earlier this week, both the HFPA and Sunshine Sachs mutually agreed to a transition in its communications outreach. The HFPA plans to internalize its communications operations and Sunshine Sachs will continue to be available to provide strategic counsel. A fresh perspective is welcomed by the HFPA as it continues to push its reforms and DEI efforts and make the greater Hollywood community aware of all the significant changes that have been implemented by the Association,” the statement read.
Sunshine Sachs is led by Ken Sunshine and Shawn Sachs, and the company is headquartered in New York with offices in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Austin and Washington D.C. The company’s list of clients includes A-list celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Natalie Portman, Salma Hayek, Eva Longoria, Jane Fonda and more. The PR firm also represents the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Oscars.