After a very quiet, untelevised awards ceremony last year, the Golden Globes are now set to return on NBC in 2023.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the network is planning for the awards to take place on Jan. 10. That date falls on a Tuesday, as opposed to its usual date of the first Sunday in January, due to that day being New Year’s Day and previous network programming constraints. Neither NBC nor the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization behind the awards, have publicly commented on this new development.
As previously reported by The Root, the HFPA had been trying to remedy its lack of diversity following that revelatory exposé last April that shined a light on the fact that the org had no Black members. That led to a domino effect, as more and more stories began to surface that revealed a handful of other leadership flaws such as a former president’s racist email and reports that the association rejected Black-led projects. As a result of that, several huge networks and studios cut ties with HFPA, including Netflix, WarnerMedia and Amazon Studios. NBC, which had also aired the highly-anticipated awards show, also announced it wouldn’t televise it for the 2022 season.
In an attempt to remedy the situation, the HFPA implemented a handful of changes in the months that followed: specifically a new reform plan and new bylaws that include an updated code of conduct; a chief diversity officer; 21 new members (including six Black journalists) and a five-year partnership with the NAACP.
“Regardless of the next air date of the Golden Globes, implementing transformational changes as quickly—and as thoughtfully—as possible remains the top priority for our organization,” HFPA board members released in an official statement to The Root at the time. “We invite our partners in the industry to the table to work with us on the systemic reform that is long overdue, both in our organization as well as within the industry at large.”
Whether or not all the work they’ve done will be enough to restore the awards back to its former glory still remains to be seen. The proof of the pudding will undoubtedly be shown most through the attendance at next year’s ceremony, and over time as the organization continues to make good on its intentions for true, industry-wide change.