RIP, HFPA: Troubled Org Dissolved as Dick Clark Prods. and Eldridge Buy Golden Globes

Marcus Jones
·3 min read

The Golden Globes’ road to redemption has taken a new turn with the announcement that its production company Dick Clark Productions (DCP) and owner Eldridge have now acquired all its assets, rights, and properties from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).

The transaction comes with news that the HFPA is dissolving. The proceeds from the transaction, plus the existing resources of the HFPA, will be fed into the newly formed non-profit Golden Globe Foundation made to continue on the HFPA’s efforts to donate to entertainment-related charitable causes.

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The annual Golden Globe Awards themselves will now fully be planned, hosted, and produced by DCP, with plans to pursue global commercial opportunities for the Golden Globes brand. The 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards are already set to take place on Sunday, January 7, 2024. It will be the first show since the DCP and the Golden Globes were acquired by Penske Media Eldridge in January 2023.

The announcement of the acquisition came with a statement from HFPA President Helen Hoehne saying “We are excited to close on this much anticipated member-approved transaction and transition from a member-led organization to a commercial enterprise.” Though it is confirmed that HFPA membership will still be involved in the voting process for the 2024 Golden Globe Awards, the acquisition still brings forth lingering questions.

As the saga goes, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association came under fire in 2021 after an LA Times investigation put into question the organization’s ethics and lack of diversity. Though efforts were made to ensure the voting body be more inclusive, the awards broadcast was canceled in 2022, and only came back to NBC in 2023 after the Golden Globes became a for profit company under new CEO and owner Todd Boehly of Eldridge Industries.

The move was not without its issues, as it was reported that legacy HFPA members now received an annual salary of $75,000, while the outside journalists brought in to help diversify the Golden Globes voting body were not compensated monetarily. IndieWire has reached out to representatives for DCP and Penske Media Eldridge to clarify if those payments will continue after the HFPA is fully dissolved.

Boehly said in a statement alongside the acquisition news, “My partners at DCP and I are grateful to Helen and team for their commitment to the successful implementation of a robust approach to governance, the expansion of the diverse and international voting body, implementing a professional, safe, and accountable environment, and trusting new ownership with a new direction for the Globes.”

Meanwhile, Jay Penske, CEO, Chairman and Founder, Penske Media, and CEO of DCP said “As stewards of the Golden Globe Awards, our mission is to continue creating the most dynamic awards ceremony on live television viewed across the world,” putting the focus on the awards broadcast specifically. “We have a great team in place to grow this iconic brand and captivate new and existing audiences to celebrate the very best in television and motion pictures,” he added.

IndieWire’s parent company Penske Media Eldridge acquired Dick Clark Productions, home of the Golden Globes, in January 2023.

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