Angela Bassett Says She 'Didn't Have Any' Qualms About Attending Golden Globes After HFPA Scandal
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Angela Bassett was ready for the 80th Golden Globes.
The actress won her second trophy on Tuesday night, this time for her supporting role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. (She previously won in 1994 for What's Love Got to Do with It.)
In the press room backstage after giving her acceptance speech, Bassett, 64, was asked if she had any hesitations about attending the award show given its past scandal, to which she responded: "No, I didn't have any."
After being taken off the air amid backlash about the lack of diversity among its former voting body, the awards show returns to NBC this year following internal changes made by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
During her speech accepting her win for best supporting actress, Bassett said at one point, "By the grace of God, I stand here. I stand here grateful for the Hollywood Foreign Press for giving me this honor along with Wakanda Forever. Grateful for my amazing team who every day, each and every one of them works along with me and beside me and on my behalf each and every day." She also thanked Marvel fans, her costars, her family and paid tribute to late costar Chadwick Boseman.
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In September, Helen Hoehne, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, said, "The HFPA remains committed to important changes and supporting programs which prioritize diversity, inclusion and transparency."
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The HPFA, a small group of international journalists that determines the nominees and winners of the Golden Globe Awards each year, was widely criticized for its lack of representation among its members after the Los Angeles Times published an exposé in February 2021, in which it was revealed there were zero members of the organization who were Black.
In a previous press release, the HFPA noted that it added "103 new voters to its ranks, marking the first time international-based voters have been added to the voting pool. This diverse voting body is now represented by 62 different countries around the world. Combined with the current HFPA membership, the total Golden Globe Awards voting body is now 52 percent female, 51.5 percent racially and ethnically diverse, with 19.5 percent Latinx, 12 percent Asian, 10 percent Black and 10 percent Middle Eastern."
Comedian Jerrod Carmichael, who hosted this year's ceremony, tackled the controversy head-on in his opening monologue.
The 80th annual Golden Globe Awards are being broadcast live on NBC and Peacock.
