The Hollywood Foreign Press Association on Thursday announced reforms to its bylaws and an overhaul of its membership process in a bid to diversify its ranks and potentially restore the heavily criticized Golden Globes.
The embattled 83-member press association voted 63 to 19 in favor of the new measures, including the election of a new board that will for the first time also include several non-members. The HFPA, which has long been populated by little-known international journalists who seldom publish, also voted to expand its membership.
“Three months ago, we made a promise to commit to transformational change and with this vote we kept the last and most significant promise in reimagining the HFPA and our role in the industry,” said Ali Sar, HFPA board president. “All of these promised reforms can serve as industry benchmarks and allow us to once again partner meaningfully with Hollywood moving forward.”
Numerous reports about ethical lapses and a recent voting membership that included no Black members prompted an industry-wide rebuke of the Globes earlier this year.
