The Golden Globes has announced that it will no longer pay a $75,000 annual salary to former Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) members, who are responsible for voting on the prestigious film and TV awards. This policy change comes a year after the group reached a five-year agreement in June 2023 with its new owners, Penske Media Eldridge. Under that agreement, former HFPA members had been grandfathered into the newly restructured organization, with an annual salary.
Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne informed members of the change during a video conference on Friday, explaining that this shift aligns the Globes with the practices of other major awards shows like the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys, which do not compensate their voting bodies. The decision to end the payments is also seen as a step toward eliminating any potential bias in the voting process.
The move comes as the Golden Globes organization, which transitioned from a nonprofit HFPA to a for-profit entity in 2021, continues to rehabilitate its image following widespread criticism over the lack of diversity in its membership. The new leadership has expanded the pool of voters from fewer than 100 to approximately 300, with the majority of them serving without pay.
Hoehne informed about 50 former HFPA members, who voted in the most recent Golden Globes ceremony on January 5, that they would be offered a severance package of $102,500. These voters will also have the opportunity to reapply for accreditation each year.
A Golden Globes spokesperson clarified that the policy change was made to address concerns about perceived bias in voting and emphasized that the organization was fulfilling its contractual obligations by offering severance to the impacted members.