NBC Will Not Air The Golden Globes in 2022, But Why?

Tom Cruise has returned his awards.

Earlier this week, the Golden Globes' decades-long broadcast partner NBC announced that it will not air the award show in 2022.

If you're someone who watches the Golden Globes every year—for the high-key cringe moments, of course—you've probably heard that there's been a lot of controversy surrounding the glamorous ceremony.

For those of you who have no clue what we're talking about, let's start by unpacking why the Globes have caused such an uproar.

Why are the Golden Globes so controversial? 

Throughout the years, the Globes have been criticised for snubbing female filmmakers (I'm still bitter about Greta Gerwig not being nominated in the Best Director category for Little Women in 2020). 

In fact, 2021 marked the first time that three female directors were nominated for Best Director.

Yep, it seriously took this long.

On top of that, the Golden Globes faced intense scrutiny this year following an investigation by the Los Angeles Times, which revealed there were no black people among the 87-member group of foreign entertainment journalists who make up the HFPA. 

The Los Angeles Times report also raised questions over the close relationships between the HFPA and movie studios, which may unfairly influence the choice of nominees and winners.

According to the ABC, the HFPA board wrote to its members suggesting numerous steps to diversify its roster, including hiring a chief diversity officer, placing emphasis on recruiting black journalists and widening the pool of potential applicants.

In response to the controversy, NBC has decided not to air the Golden Globes in 2022. 

"We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform. 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," NBC said in a statement this week.

Which celebs have spoken out about the Globes? 

Quite a few.

Sterling K. Brown, Kerry Washington, Amy Schumer, America Ferrera, Dakota Johnson and Laura Dern all shared the LA Times' infographic on social media.

Additionally, Tom Cruise has returned his Golden Globe awards to the HFPA. He won Best Actor for his performances in Jerry McGuire (1997) and Born on the Fourth of July (1990). The actor also picked up a Best Supporting Actor award for Magnolia in 2000. 

Grey's Anatomy actress Ellen Pompeo also penned an open letter to the HFPA a day before the 2021 Golden Globes, calling out the lack of diversity. 

"I would kindly ask, all my white colleagues in this industry, an industry that we love and has granted us enormous privilege... to pull up, show up and get this issue resolved," she wrote in the letter. 

Does this means the Golden Globes are cancelled for good? 

At this stage, it's not entirely clear what this all means for the award show. 

Studios including WarnerMedia, Netflix, Amazon and HBO have announced they're cutting all ties with the body until proper reform is implemented.

The Golden Globes isn't the only award show that has been slammed for lack of diversity. Earlier this month, it was revealed that the organisers of the Grammys have scrapped their anonymous voting committes. 

Header Image: Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images