The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has revealed that it is expanding the voting body for the 81st Golden Globe Awards, adding another 215 international voters.
The 215 new international voters have been added to the 95 current member voters, leading to a total of 310 voters for the next edition of the awards. The HFPA claims the expansion of the number of voters surpasses its pledge to increase the size and diversity of the voting body. The organization was forced into drastic reforms in the aftermath of a Los Angeles Times exposé about the HFPA’s demographics and conduct.
The HFPA says the voting body now represents a total of 76 countries, including international voters from newly added countries such as Cameroon, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Serbia and Tanzania. According to the organization, 58 percent of the voting body is now diverse, and the new ethnic breakdown is as follows: 25 percent Latinx, 14 percent Asian, 10 percent Black, 9 percent Middle Eastern and 42 percent white. Additionally, the HPFA says that at least 17 percent of the voting body self-identifies as LGBTQ.
The organization revealed that the voting body for the 80th Golden Globes consisted of 200 voters with 52 percent self-identifying as ethnically diverse.
As part of its efforts to be more transparent, the HFPA also revealed that criteria for international voters residing outside the U.S. should include possessing verified entertainment journalistic clippings for international media outlets including print, broadcast, radio, photography and online. The organization adds that these applications were reviewed and qualified by the HFPA Credentials Committee, which is composed of a majority of outside, independent journalism and entertainment industry professionals.
The HFPA adds that international voters will be subject to a Golden Globe Awards Code of Conduct.
“We have exceeded our goal of reaching 300 voters for the upcoming 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards thanks to an extensive global recruitment effort,” said Helen Hoehne, president of the HFPA. “We are excited at the unprecedented achievement in building a truly global voting body where 58 percent self-identify as ethnically diverse.”
“The efforts put forth to identify, engage and actively recruit diverse voters is strong evidence of the commitment by the Golden Globes to follow through on its promises to expand and reshape itself,” said Neil Phillips, the HFPA’s chief diversity officer. “It shows that with the right leadership, effective community partnerships and an unwavering focus, we can achieve remarkable and transformational diversity growth.”
The 81st Golden Globe Awards will take place on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024.
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