Golden Globes Return to TV in 2023, NBC and HFPA Set One-Year Deal
The Golden Globes are returning to NBC in 2023, the network, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Dick Clark Prods. announced on Tuesday. The ceremony will return to the Beverly Hilton in time for its 80th anniversary on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT. The telecast will also be streamed live on Peacock.
According to the network, that date was chosen due to NFL football that Sunday, while the NCAA National Championship Game takes place that Monday — leaving NBC to push the Globes to Tuesday. (The Critics Choice Awards has already staked out the following Sunday, Jan. 15, for its event.)
More from Variety
NBC declined comment on terms of the deal, including whether the show’s $60 million license fee had been cut. But it’s clear a renegotiation had taken place, as NBC’s new deal with the Globes is just a one-year agreement, “which allows the HFPA and DCP to explore new opportunities for domestic and global distribution across a variety of platforms in the future,” according to the press release announcing the return.
The deal comes after months of talks about a resumption of the awards show at the network. Such an announcement had not been a guarantee, given lingering concerns about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s actions — and whether its reforms had gone far enough.
The HFPA recently announced that it had added 103 new voters to its membership, which previously had dipped to around 80. The group added voters based outside of the U.S. for the first time; the HFPA said the Globes voting body voting pool “is now 52% female, 51.5% racially and ethnically diverse, with 19.5% Latinx, 12% Asian, 10% Black and 10% Middle Eastern.”
“We recognize the HFPA’s commitment to ongoing change and look forward to welcoming back the Golden Globes to NBC for its landmark 80th anniversary in January 2023,” Frances Berwick, chairman, entertainment networks, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a statement.
Nominations for the next Globes will be held on Dec. 12. The likelihood of the Globes’ return was increased this summer, when Eldridge Industries announced that it was taking over the Golden Globe Awards. Under the new deal, the Globes will become a for-profit, private entity separate from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s charitable and philanthropic programs, which will be managed as a non-profit org.
The HFPA membership voted to approve the transfer of ownership to Eldridge, which is run by Todd Boehly, who has served as the org’s interim CEO since last year. As part of the transition, the group will add additional Golden Globes voters “to increase the size and diversity of the available voters for the annual awards,” the group said.
In August, HFPA president Helen Hoehne sent a group a publicists a lengthy list recapping the reforms carried out by the HFPA.
The letter outlined and recapped reforms and changes HFPA has implemented, most of which have already been reported or announced. Changes emphasized include electing a new board of directors with three non-member directors, appointing a chief diversity officer, creating a Credentials Committee to reaccredit current members of the Association in a formal review process, selecting a new class of 21 members (29% of whom identify as Black), mandatory DEI and sexual harassment prevention training sessions for members, the implementation of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program, and the standardization of etiquette guidelines for the organization’s press conferences such as requiring questions to relate to the talent’s current project.
“All 101 members are currently going through the reaccreditation process in 2022,” the letter specified, requiring each member to sign a new code of conduct annually. Some members will be moved to emeritus status, meaning they will be able to vote but not ask questions in press conferences.
In addition, the press release also promised that an “effort was underway” to add more voting members to the organization through outreach to international journalists from outside the U.S, promising that the new class will “supplement the existing membership to create diversity, expand international market outreach and allow for greater participation from the international community.” According to the press release, the organization aims to add these members to the organization in time for them to vote on the 80th Golden Globes, scheduled for early 2023.
This summer, Eldridge and MRC leaders Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu agreed to carve up their jointly owned assets into separate business entities. Eldridge retained Globes producer Dick Clark Productions (formerly MRC Live and Alternative and before that, formerly Dick Clark Prods.), among other entities.
“We have seen first-hand the dedication of the HFPA as it continues to modernize and act on its important mission,” said Adam Stotsky, president of DCP, in a statement. “We’re excited to produce the show that kicks off award season, supports so many here in Los Angeles, and impacts artists across the globe.”
NBC’s most recent Golden Globes telecast, with hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, also clocked in at the telecast’s lowest-rated ever: The COVID-delayed ceremony, which aired on Feb. 28, 2021, averaged a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49 and 6.9 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. (The Globes’ last pre-pandemic ceremony, in January 2020, drew 18.3 million viewers.)
As Variety reported in June, the HFPA, led by president Helen Hoehne, had met with major studios and networks in the spring and early summer to lay out the list of changes the org had made over the past year and a half. The HFPA has been in reform mode since spring 2021, when the Los Angeles Times detailed new allegations of questionable financial practices inside the small, insular organization, as well as paltry record of diversity and representation (including an entire lack of Black members).
Nonetheless, those charges of questionable practices and a lack of diverse membership led NBC to announce that it would not air the Golden Globes in 2022.
This January, without NBC as broadcast partner, the HFPA moved forward with the 2022 Golden Globes — in a private ceremony at the Beverly Hilton, without any nominees in attendance. The 2022 ceremony put an emphasis on the Golden Globes’ philanthropic partners and efforts instead.
Although NBC showed some support last fall for the HFPA’s reform process, it remained concerned that the HFPA had not found away to win back the support of talent reps, whose clients’ attendance is key for the Golden Globes telecast. Sources told Variety in June that NBC told HFPA it needed to shore up support from the studios and TV networks — and guarantee that the red carpet will be filled with A-list names — before the Globes could return.
Variety noted that leadership from Netflix, Amazon, and Disney had shown support for bringing back the Globes, and some PR firms were on board as well. But others had remained critical of the HFPA’s efforts so far, including ID founder and CEO Kelly Bush Novak.
“I have indeed been a passionate advocate for change within the HFPA, alongside scores of agencies, representatives and clients who envision a re-imagined organization that equitably reflects our industry and the artists we represent,” Novak wrote in a statement to Variety in June. “The efforts of the HFPA have been widely documented and it behooves us all to remain engaged in supporting (and when necessary, questioning) their process. Our common goal will undoubtedly benefit the artistic and wider community. I’m optimistic.”
Here is the timetable for the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards:
Monday, November 7, 2022: Deadline for Motion Picture and Television Submissions
Monday, December 12, 2022: Nominations Announced
Tuesday, January 10, 2023: Live Broadcast of the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards
“It’s great to be back at the Beverly Hilton for the must-see celebration recognizing the best in film and television,” Hoehne said in a statement. “The HFPA remains committed to important changes and supporting programs which prioritize diversity, inclusion, and transparency.”
Wilson Chapman contributed to this report.
VIP+ Data: Who’s Still Watching Awards Shows — and Who Isn’t?
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
