The decision has been made by the Golden Globes organization to discontinue the practice of paying a $75,000 annual salary to former Hollywood Foreign Press Association members who participate in voting for the prestigious film and TV awards. This change comes as the former HFPA members were in the second year of a five-year agreement that was established in June 2023 with the organization’s new owners, Penske Media Eldridge. Under this agreement, a $75,000 base annual salary was set for voters who had transitioned from being members of the HFPA to the newly rebranded Golden Globes LLC.
The announcement of this shift in policy was made by Globes president Helen Hoehne during a video conference call with organization members. This decision aligns the Golden Globes with other major awards events such as the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys, which do not compensate their voting members. Since facing criticism in 2021 for the lack of diversity within its membership, the Golden Globes has undergone significant changes, transitioning from a nonprofit HFPA to a for-profit entity owned by Penske Media Corporation.
As part of the revitalization of the awards, the voting pool for the Globes has been expanded to around 300 members, with the majority of them not receiving payment for their participation. However, as part of the transition process, some former HFPA members were grandfathered in and included in the five-year contract established in 2023. Hoehne’s meeting with approximately 50 impacted former HFPA members who voted in the recent Globes ceremony included information about severance packages and the opportunity for members to reapply for accreditation annually.
A spokesperson for the Golden Globes explained that the decision to stop paying members was made to avoid the perception of bias in voting. The organization is fulfilling its contractual obligations by offering severance packages to affected members. The news of this policy change was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
It is important to note that Variety parent company PMC is involved in a joint venture with Eldridge, which owns Golden Globes producer Dick Clark Prods. This partnership underscores the interconnected nature of the entertainment industry and the various entities involved in producing and recognizing outstanding achievements in film and television.
