Each year, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association hands out Golden Globe Awards to the top movies and TV shows of the year. Here’s a FAQ on just what the Golden Globes are and who votes on them.
What is the Golden Globe Awards nomination process?
Each member is sent a ballot, along with a list of eligible films submitted by studios (a movie must have opened in the U.S. during the calendar year to be eligible). All active members can select five nominees for each category, ranking their choices from 1 to 5. The Ernst & Young accounting firm tallies the ballots and members don’t know who’s nominated until the official announcement.
Why do they award both TV and film?
The members write about Hollywood for their respective countries, and found that readers were increasingly interested in TV work, as the networks began to export more TV shows to other countries. In the 21st century, the lines between films and TV programming are getting more and more blurred so it makes even more sense to award both.
How are the Globes different from Oscars?
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has about 8,700 voting members, all of whom work in moviemaking: actors, writers, directors, production designers, editors, etc. The HFPA consists of international journalists.
Why are there separate categories for drama and comedy/musical?
The HFPA started the comedy/musical category in 1951. If you look at Oscar history, it’s clear that comedy movies don’t get nearly as much awards attention as more serious fare. Sometimes the distinctions are fuzzy: The studio submits a film as either a comedy/musical or drama, but it is up to the HFPA to decide. For example, the 1983 film Terms of Endearment was submitted as a comedy, but the HFPA decided it was a drama. Last year, A Star Is Born and Bohemian Rhapsody competed in the motion-picture drama race, rather than musical. Either way, it gives comedies and musicals a chance for recognition. Over the years, comedy/musical Globe nominees have included films like Love, Actually, Notting Hill, Sister Act and Harold and Maude, which were embraced by audiences, but generally ignored by critics groups and the Oscars.
Does the screenplay race combine categories?
The Golden Globes’ screenplay race includes both originals and adaptations (e.g., The Irishman is an adaptation, while Marriage Story is an original).
How did a group of little-known journalists end up putting on such a big awards show?
Hollywood studios found it didn’t hurt to participate in another starry show before the Oscars, keeping their films and TV shows in the public’s eye. The Golden Globes ceremony and plethora of after-parties make it a glamorous night and a chance for some heartfelt speeches just before Oscar nominations ballots are due. It’s also an opportunity for presenters, as well as contenders, to plug their films and shows before millions of TV viewers.
– Courtesy: Variety
