More stories

  • in

    The Golden Globes’ Biggest Winner May Be the Group That Hands Them Out

    #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }Awards SeasonNetflix’s First Winner?Our Best Movie PicksStream Top Oscar ContendersOscar-Winning DocumentariesAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyThe Golden Globes’ Biggest Winner May Be the Group That Hands Them OutMembers of the tax-exempt Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which puts on the ceremony, are courted by stars and studios, and sometimes paid.A Golden Globe win can boost careers, jack up box office earnings and foreshadow an Academy Award.Credit…Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesCara Buckley and Feb. 23, 2021Updated 4:32 p.m. ETThe Hollywood Foreign Press Association has been widely viewed as colorful, generally harmless, perhaps venal and not necessarily journalistically productive. But because the group puts on the Golden Globes, courting the favor of its members — there are only 87 — has become a ritualized Tinseltown pursuit.Celebrities send them handwritten holiday cards. Studios put them up at five-star hotels. Champagne, pricey wine, signed art, cashmere blankets, slippers, record players, cakes, headphones and speakers are among the gifts that have arrived at their doorsteps, recipients say.The suitors — studios, production companies, strategists and publicists — are all chasing the same thing: members’ votes. Every one counts. A Golden Globe nomination, and certainly a win, is a publicity boon that can boost careers, jack up box office earnings and foreshadow an Academy Award.Boozy, irreverent and generally jolly good fun, the Globes are the third most-watched awards show after the Grammys and the much more staid Academy Awards. The show occupies a curious place in the entertainment industry. Mocking the Globes, and their occasionally off-the-wall nominations and picks, as irrelevant has become an annual blood sport in the Hollywood press, which covers them anyway, and the association’s members, many of whom work for obscure outlets, are regularly painted as doddering, out of touch and faintly corrupt.“The Golden Globes are to the Oscars what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton,” Ricky Gervais, who has hosted them multiple times, said at the ceremony in 2012. “Bit louder. Bit trashier. Bit drunker. And more easily bought, allegedly. Nothing’s been proved.”But on the eve of the Feb. 28 show, a recent lawsuit and a series of interviews and financial records are providing a more unsparing look at the group, which does not publicly list its roster, admits very few applicants, and, despite being a media association, has some members who say they are fearful of speaking to the press. The group is also coming under increased scrutiny from news organizations, including The Los Angeles Times, which recently delved into their finances; one of its findings, that the group has no Black members, made headlines.Kjersti Flaa, a Norwegian reporter, sued when the Hollywood Foreign Press Association denied her entry. Most of her lawsuit was thrown out, but she recently amended it.Credit…Rozette Rago for The New York TimesThe latest re-examination began last year when Kjersti Flaa, a Norwegian reporter who has thrice been denied admittance to the group, and whose romantic partner is a member, sued the organization, saying that it acted as a monopoly, hogging prized interviews even though relatively few of its members actively worked as journalists. Studios went along to ingratiate themselves, she said, because of the value of the members’ votes.“It’s very obvious who’s important for the studios and who’s not,” Flaa said in an interview. “And the thing is, no one has said anything about this before. It’s just been accepted.”Members are territorial and loath to welcome competitors, she alleged, lobbying each other to accept or deny entry to new applicants, with little consideration for journalistic merits. Flaa pointed to a fracas involving a Russian member who in 2015 was accused of demanding that a Ukranian applicant not write for any Russian outlets and hand over her extra Golden Globes tickets — and guarantee her promise in a notarized letter — in exchange for being considered for admission.Flaa said outsiders had a nickname for the association: “The cartel.”The association would not comment specifically on the 2015 incident, but Gregory Goeckner, the organization’s chief operating officer and general counsel, said that such actions were prohibited, and that in 2018 its board approved a policy confirming any such letters as “void and unenforceable.” Goeckner also described Flaa’s allegations as “salacious,” and said it was studios, not the association, that made decisions about press access.A judge threw out the majority of Flaa’s suit, but she has recently amended it, and another journalist who also has been denied entry to the association has joined her complaint.Several current and former association members said Flaa’s accounts of the inner machinations were accurate, but requested anonymity because they said they feared retaliation from the group.The Hollywood Foreign Press Association was born in the ’40s, when foreign correspondents covering Hollywood banded together to gain access to movie stars. The Globes recognize movies and television, and is chockablock with stars, with nary a snoozy category — no sound editing prize here. As the awards industry complex mushroomed — it’s now a near year-round enterprise shaped by strategists and closely tracked by reporters — members’ relative power grew too.The association, which is sitting on millions of dollars in cash, is planning to upgrade its West Hollywood headquarters.Credit…Barry King/Alamy Stock PhotoAfter the show was picked up by television, it became a golden goose. In 2018, NBC agreed to pay $60 million a year for broadcast rights, about triple the previous licensing fee. While the Academy Awards and the Emmys have lost millions of viewers in recent years, the Golden Globes audience has held steady at 18 million to 20 million, which is why NBC was willing to fork up.“It’s a big-tent network television show, and as such, invaluable to film campaigns hoping to contend for Oscar nominations and wins,” said Tony Angellotti, a publicist who runs awards campaigns, in an email. “And the H.F.P.A. track record for identifying worthy films is indisputable. That’s not nothing.”To be able to vote for a Globe, members must publish at least six times a year, and attend 25 of the association’s news conferences, where celebrities and newsmakers are invited to appear, several members confirmed. If members want to travel to film festivals on the association’s dime, they have to attend even more news conferences, according to a copy of the travel policies reviewed by The New York Times. The rules say they don’t have to produce any press clippings related to their travels if they take five or fewer trips.Because the organization is a nonprofit, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is also tax-exempt. The filing from the tax year ending in June 2019 showed that the group was sitting on about $55 million in cash. It donated about $5 million to assorted causes, including $500,000 to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and $500,000 to the environmental site Inside Climate News.“The funding was enormously important,” David Sassoon, the founder and publisher of Inside Climate News, said in an email. “It solidified our finances and helped us get through the nightmares of 2020.”According to the tax filings, the tax-exempt nonprofit paid more than $3 million in salaries and other compensation to members and staff. The tax filing also showed $1.3 million in travel costs for that year; the association has said it typically pays the expenses of members who seek to travel to film festivals and the like.There is also compensation for performing duties that several members say used to be done for free. Being on the association’s TV Viewing Committee pays $1,000 a month, according to the treasurer’s report from the association’s January general meeting. Members of the Foreign Film Watching Committee pocket $3,465 apiece. Two dozen people sit on that committee, according to the minutes, which meant that the demands of watching international movies cost the association $83,160 in one month.The association also has an advisory committee, a history committee, a welfare committee, a travel committee, a film festival committee, a financial committee and an events committee — all of which come with stipends, according to the treasurer’s report.Some members said the number of paying committees has exploded in recent years, with members jockeying to nab multiple positions and loyalty rewarded with committee appointments. This has caused angst for some who want to see the association become less of a punchline around town. One member worried that the group will become overrun by members who draw most of their income from the organization and not from journalism.Ricky Gervais rolled out the red carpet at the Golden Globes last year.Credit…Christopher Polk/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank, via, Getty ImagesGoeckner said the association only remunerates members when they do extra work and basically serve as employees, doing tasks that would constitute paid staff work elsewhere. The compensation, he said, was “orders of magnitude less” than what similar organizations pay. And he noted that the group was “not a charity,” and that its accumulated capital was earmarked for a planned upgrade of its West Hollywood headquarters.Still, there is debate over how much of its earnings the association should keep to itself.Flaa’s lawyer, David Quinto, said that by virtue of its tax-exempt status, the association should be benefiting foreign arts journalists more broadly, not just the ones in the group. He said the association “believes it is above the law” and called its conduct “blatantly improper.”But Ofer Lion, a Los Angeles lawyer with expertise on tax-exempt organizations, said that mutual benefit corporations like the association need only benefit a common purpose of its members, and as a 501(c) (6) tax-exempt organization, must only ensure they in some way benefit their industry overall. Payments to members for their work for the organization are legal, he said, as long as they are considered reasonable.“There are some healthy numbers on there,” Lion said, after reviewing the organization’s tax return, “but not really beyond the pale.”The group’s stated mission is essentially to help bolster ties between the United States and foreign countries by covering its culture and entertainment industry. But it has continuously come under scrutiny when puzzling award decisions have been handed down, most infamously in 1982, when Pia Zadora was named best new star over Kathleen Turner and Elizabeth McGovern. It was later revealed that Zadora’s producer, who also happened to be her husband, had flown the group to Las Vegas before the vote. CBS, which had been airing the show, dropped its broadcast, and it would be years before it returned to network television.In 2014, a former association president published a memoir in which he suggested that his colleagues could be swayed by favor trading.The association has tried to rehabilitate its image in recent years. In 1999, it sent back $400 Coach watches given to members by a film company and asked members in 2016 to return part of the Tom Ford-branded fragrance gift sent to each of them from the producers of “Nocturnal Animals.”Nowadays, members aren’t supposed to accept gifts in excess of $125. (The group says it has adopted a “more robust” gift policy.) Still, they can be wooed. For some, there was little surprise when the frothy series “Emily in Paris” — which got decidedly mixed reviews from critics — picked up two Golden Globe nominations this year. In September 2019, dozens of association members flew to Paris to visit the “Emily” set and were put up by the Paramount Network at the five-star Peninsula hotel.And although there purportedly has been a wave of reforms, the group’s eclectic membership list has remained largely the same for years.A review of a 2020 roster shows that its members include Yola Czaderska-Hayek, a woman known as the “Polish First Lady of Hollywood”; Alexander Nevsky, a former Mr. Universe and bodybuilder who has starred in movies like “Moscow Heat”; and Judy Solomon, an organization veteran of more than 60 years who has drawn attention for her role as what The Daily Beast called “The Golden Globes Seating Arbiter,” a job of no small importance when it comes to seating celebrities at the ceremony without ruffling feathers.In statements provided to The New York Times, two longtime members of the organization expressed pride in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and its work. One of the members, Meher Tatna, the current board chair, touted the group’s philanthropic initiatives, saying it received thank-you letters year-round.Czaderska-Hayek echoed that pride in a video posted on YouTube by the Polish government in 2010, but also noted that membership demands could be taxing.“It’s unbelievably hard work,” Czaderska-Hayek said, according to the video’s English subtitles. “We must see at least 300 U.S. films every year.”Alain Delaquérière and Kitty Bennett contributed research.AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

  • in

    Golden Globes 2021: A Full List of Nominees

    #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }Awards SeasonNetflix’s First Winner?Our Best Movie PicksNew Diversity RulesOscar-Winning DocumentariesAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyGolden Globes 2021: A Full List of NomineesHere are the films, television shows, actors and directors chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.Chadwick Boseman, left, and Viola Davis were nominated for acting awards for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”Credit…David Lee/NetflixFeb. 3, 2021Updated 10:49 a.m. ETThe 78th Golden Globe Awards are scheduled for Feb. 28 and will be shown on NBC. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey will return to host the ceremony, which they last led in 2015.The Golden Globes typically take place in January. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which gives out the awards, pushed the ceremony to February this year, citing the coronavirus pandemic.Streaming services, including Netflix and Amazon, dominated the list of nominees, both with their own films — like “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “One Night in Miami,” which wouldn’t have relied on open movie theaters to find eyeballs even during a standard year — and with movies that the streaming companies purchased from traditional studios, including Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” The streaming services also did well in the television categories: Netflix hits like “The Queen’s Gambit” undoubtedly benefited from having a captive audience over the past year.See the list of nominees below.Best Motion Picture, Drama“The Father”“Mank”“Nomadland”“Promising Young Woman”“The Trial of the Chicago 7”Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”“Hamilton”“Music”“Palm Springs”“The Prom”Best Director, Motion PictureEmerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”David Fincher, “Mank”Regina King, “One Night in Miami”Aaron Sorkin, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland”Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, DramaViola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”Andra Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman”Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or ComedyMaria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”Kate Hudson, “Music”Michelle Pfeiffer, “French Exit”Rosamund Pike, “I Care a Lot”Anya Taylor-Joy, “Emma”Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion PictureGlenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy”Olivia Colman, “The Father”Jodie Foster, “The Mauritanian”Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”Helena Zengel, “News of the World”Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, DramaRiz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal”Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”Gary Oldman, “Mank”Tahar Rahim, “The Mauritanian”Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or ComedySacha Baron Cohen, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”James Corden, “The Prom”Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Hamilton”Dev Patel, “The Personal History of David Copperfield”Andy Samberg, “Palm Springs”Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion PictureSacha Baron Cohen, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah”Jared Leto, “The Little Things”Bill Murray, “On the Rocks”Leslie Odom Jr., “One Night in Miami”Best Screenplay, Motion PictureEmerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”Jack Fincher, “Mank”Aaron Sorkin, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton, “The Father”Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland”Best Original Score, Motion PictureAlexandre Desplat, “The Midnight Sky”Ludwig Göransson, “Tenet”James Newton Howard, “News of the World”Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, “Mank”Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste, “Soul”Best Original Song, Motion Picture“Fight for You,” “Judas and the Black Messiah”“Hear My Voice,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7”“Io Sì (Seen),” “The Life Ahead”“Speak Now,” “One Night in Miami”“Tigress & Tweed,” “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”Best Motion Picture, Animated“The Croods: A New Age”“Onward”“Over the Moon”“Soul”“Wolfwalkers”Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language“Another Round”“La Llorona”“The Life Ahead”“Minari”“Two of Us”Best Television Series, Drama“The Crown”“Lovecraft Country”“The Mandalorian”“Ozark”“Ratched”Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy“Emily in Paris”“The Flight Attendant”“The Great”“Schitt’s Creek”“Ted Lasso”Best Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television“Normal People”“The Queen’s Gambit”“Small Axe”“The Undoing”“Unorthodox”Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, DramaOlivia Colman, “The Crown”Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”Emma Corrin, “The Crown”Laura Linney, “Ozark”Sarah Paulson, “Ratched”Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or ComedyLily Collins, “Emily in Paris”Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant”Elle Fanning, “The Great”Jane Levy, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek”Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for TelevisionCate Blanchett, “Mrs. America”Daisy Edgar-Jones, “Normal People”Shira Haas, “Unorthodox”Nicole Kidman, “The Undoing”Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit”Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting RoleGillian Anderson, “The Crown”Helena Bonham Carter, “The Crown”Julia Garner, “Ozark”Annie Murphy, “Schitt’s Creek”Cynthia Nixon, “Ratched”Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, DramaJason Bateman, “Ozark”Josh O’Connor, “The Crown”Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”Al Pacino, “Hunters”Matthew Rhys, “Perry Mason”Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Musical or ComedyDon Cheadle, “Black Monday”Nicholas Hoult, “The Great”Eugene Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”Ramy Youssef, “Ramy”Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for TelevisionBryan Cranston, “Your Honor”Jeff Daniels, “The Comey Rule”Hugh Grant, “The Undoing”Ethan Hawke, “The Good Lord Bird”Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This Much is True”Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Supporting RoleJohn Boyega, “Small Axe”Brendan Gleeson, “The Comey Rule”Daniel Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”Jim Parsons, “Hollywood”Donald Sutherland, “The Undoing”AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More