NBC Announced That the Golden Globes Will Not Air in 2022 — Here's Why

The Golden Globes viewership hit an all-time low among adults between the ages of 18 and 49 in 2021. Despite Amy Poehler and Tina Fey’s attempts at captivating the crowd, the comedic duo was unable to undo the damage that has been done since the awards show’s initial debut on television in 1944. 

Over the years, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has been criticized for its lack of diversity, and recent reports revealed that the HFPA will be taking some time off to rebrand. On May 10, NBC announced that the Golden Globes would not air in 2022. But why are the Golden Globes getting canceled?

In a recent statement, NBC announced that the Golden Globes will take a brief hiatus to focus on widespread concerns of bias, discrimination, and misconduct, and will return to television in January of 2023. The statement read, “We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform.” 

The statement continued, “However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right. As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes. Assuming the organization executes on its plan, we are hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023.”

The statement came shortly after the HFPA announced its plan to reform the organization, which was met with disappointment from the industry at large. Along with Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarantos and Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke, Warner Media also slammed the HFPA in a statement. 

A few days after NBC’s announcement, Scarlett Johansson also spoke out against the HFPA and condemned the organization for what she says is blatant misconduct. 

Scarlett said in a statement, “As an actor promoting a film, one is expected to participate in awards season by attending press conferences as well as awards shows. In the past, this has often meant facing sexist questions and remarks by certain HFPA members that bordered on sexual harassment. It is the exact reason why I, for many years, refused to participate in their conferences."

Scarlett criticized the show for being “legitimized” by offenders like Harvey Weinstein and promised to protest the Golden Globes until the HFPA implements “necessary fundamental reform.” She added, “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.”

Scarlett’s public condemnation made her one of many former Golden Globe recipients who have addressed the HFPA’s misconduct, including Mark Ruffalo and Tom Cruise, who returned three of his Golden Globe awards amid the controversy. 

When They See Us director Ava Duvernay praised the actor in a Twitter post that reads, "That time that Tom Cruise sent his [Golden Globes] for Jerry Maguire, Magnolia, and Born on the Fourth of July in an actual box to the reception desk of HFPA to stand against their sexist, homophobic, racist practices of exclusion, harassment, and bias."