Golden Globes won’t get an NBC reprieve as first-ever CEO joins HFPA
Just hours after revealing its largest and most diverse class of new members ever, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. announced Friday it has appointed Todd Boehly as interim chief executive — the latest in a series of moves the group behind the Golden Globes has undertaken to overhaul itself following months of blistering controversy.
Chairman of the private equity firm Eldridge Industries and the parent company of longtime Golden Globes producer Dick Clark Productions, Boehly is the first chief executive the nonprofit HFPA has ever appointed in its 78-year history.
The announcement marks the latest step in the organization’s effort to deliver on “transformational change” it promised in the wake of a Feb. 21 Times investigation that raised questions about the makeup of its membership, governance, financial practices and journalistic ethics.
“Todd Boehly is already a partner of the HFPA who has consistently supported reforms and encouraged change from the beginning,” HFPA President Helen Hoehne, who was elected to lead the group in September, said in a statement. “As a results-driven businessman with a proven track record of success, his guidance as interim CEO will be instrumental in achieving meaningful change and greater diversity and inclusion.
With the future of the Golden Globe Awards still in jeopardy, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. tries to diversify membership.
”As an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist with deep roots in the Los Angeles community, he will make an ideal partner and leader for the HFPA as we complete our search for a permanent CEO.”
Boehly’s appointment cements an already deep relationship with the Globes group and is sure to raise questions about his ultimate intentions and potential conflicts of interest. In addition to Dick Clark Productions, Eldridge’s holdings include the movie studio MRC, the Hollywood Reporter trade publication and the Beverly Hilton, longtime home of the Globes.
In July, as the HFPA was preparing to vote on a new slate of bylaws, Boehly — who is also a part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Lakers and Sparks — met with members over Zoom to propose a for-profit spinoff company in partnership with Eldridge. It remains to be seen if Boehly will attempt to bring that plan to fruition.
With major studios and stars distancing themselves from the embattled HFPA over its lack of any Black members, NBC announced in May that it was pulling the Globes off the air next year, casting doubt over its future as a key precursor to the Oscars.
The HFPA has come under pressure for not having any Black members as well as allegations of ethical and financial lapses raised in a Times investigation.
As the HFPA has announced a series of reforms in recent weeks, including overhauling its bylaws, adding three nonmembers to its board of directors and expanding its membership by more than 20%, some within the organization believe it could still be possible to resurrect the show for 2022.
But with awards season already kicking into gear, talent publicists, studios and networks have continued to hold the HFPA at a distance, waiting to see more evidence that the group, which has frequently been beset by scandals and lawsuits throughout its history, is truly committed to change. And the window for a realistic revival for the upcoming awards season has all but closed.
Throwing cold water on any hopes the HFPA may have for a return to the network in 2022, a source familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly said that NBC is sticking to its decision not to air the show next year.
Times staff writer Stacy Perman contributed to this report.
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