Golden Globes 2022 fails to secure celebrity presenters amid diversity scandal

The Golden Globes 2022 will feature no celebrity presenters, according to reports.

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The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced on Tuesday (January 4) there will be no red carpet or audience at the January 9 ceremony at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles, due to rising cases of coronavirus in the US.

The only people in attendance will be “select members and grantees” who will need to provide proof of vaccination and a booster shot, along with a negative PCR test within 48 hours, to gain entry. All attendees will be masked and socially distanced throughout.

According to Variety, no celebrities have agreed to present any awards at the event. It’s unclear at this point how the winners will be revealed.

NBC cancelled the telecast of this year’s ceremony due to the controversies surrounding the HFPA, which has faced allegations of corruption and a lack of diversity among its membership.

In light of the allegations, and subsequent promises of “transformational change”, Kyle Bowser, senior vice president of the NAACP Hollywood Bureau, is set to discuss the “Reimagine Coalition” at this year’s ceremony. The five-year initiative is described as to “increase diversity, equity, and inclusion across the global entertainment industry”.

A post on Golden Globes website reads: “Each year the HFPA and the NAACP Hollywood Bureau will collaborate on, fund, and support a series of trailblazing initiatives, with the overall goals of ensuring visibility of projects from artists of diverse racial backgrounds and ethnic backgrounds; increasing diverse representation in the industry; and building pathways to inclusion for young artists and journalists of colour.”

Many celebrities have been vocal about the need for change at the Golden Globes. Earlier this year, Scarlett Johansson alleged that she faced “sexist questions and remarks by certain HFPA members that bordered on sexual harassment”.

Johansson added: “Unless there is necessary fundamental reform within the organisation, I believe it is time that we take a step back from the HFPA and focus on the importance and strength of unity within our unions and the industry as a whole.”

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