As the Golden Globes approach this weekend, a major rift has surfaced between the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and Eldridge Industries, the new owners of the prestigious awards ceremony. The disagreement has gotten so heated that HFPA members are reportedly being barred from attending Sunday’s event.
For those unfamiliar, the HFPA has been at the heart of the Golden Globes since its inception in 1944. The association, which was founded a year earlier in 1943 by international entertainment journalists, was historically responsible for organizing the event. However, in 2023, Eldridge Industries, an investment firm, acquired the Golden Globes and implemented a controversial restructuring plan. Under the deal, the awards ceremony would be handled by a for-profit entity, while the HFPA would remain as a non-profit organization.
As part of the deal, 66 “legacy members” of the HFPA were promised a salary of $75,000 per year for up to five years, along with benefits such as health insurance and lifetime voting rights for the Globes. There was also mention of four tickets to the awards ceremony each year. However, Eldridge sources have since denied that tickets were part of the official agreement, although HFPA members claim that tickets were included in an addendum to the deal.
This has sparked outrage among the HFPA members, as 11 of them were reportedly denied tickets for the upcoming event. Sources say the association feels left out, especially considering they were the ones who founded the Golden Globes in the first place. In the past, HFPA members enjoyed sitting among the A-list stars and nominees in the glamorous ballroom at the Beverly Hilton. This year, however, only 50 of the HFPA’s members have been invited to attend a “viewing party” instead—essentially a TV setup in a room at the hotel, far removed from the main event.
The situation has created a major stir, highlighting the tensions between the long-established institution of the HFPA and its new corporate owners.