Everything You’d Ever Need to Know About the Golden Globe Awards

The history of the HFPA is a fascinating one. Per its website, though versions of international journalist groups existed previously, a version of the organization as we know it rose during WWII when the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association was formed “to share contacts, information, and material.” Their first Golden Globes ceremony took place in 1944, although the HFCA did not immediately grow into the HFPA; a group of members split off in 1950 to start the Foreign Press Association of Hollywood, which handed out the Henriettas (named after then-president Henry Gris). In 1955 the separate entities became one again.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is a collection of almost 90 largely obscure journalists from around the world who reside in Southern California and ostensibly write about the movies.

Over the years, to make sense of their sometimes bizarre choices, reporters have dug into exactly who these members are. In 2015 Vulture presented an investigation: “Some HFPA members are legitimate journalists and critics whose work could be found in major newspapers and magazines. Many more are junketeers who seem more interested in getting a picture with their subject than asking probing questions.”

In 2021, an online movement dubbed #TimesUpGlobes called for more transparency from the HFPA, in light of allegations of dubious voting practices and the revelation that they counted no Black journalists among their members.

The balloting procedure remains pretty simple. Members are asked to rank five nominees (from a reminder list of what’s eligible). The ranking will be used in the event of ties. That then goes back to an accounting firm. Final ballots are generally sent out in December and due in early January. Movies, to be eligible, must be screened for voters in the Los Angeles area.

Details on the Jan. 9, 2022 Globes ceremony are forthcoming; in the wake of several well-publicized scandals surrounding the HFPA, NBCUniversal has announced they will not be airing the 2022 event on NBC. 

What differentiates the Globes most from the other major show of the season is the split between drama and musical or comedy in the film categories. This divide can become hairy given that determining genre is rarely simple. One year, for instance, there was mild controversy over whether “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “A Star Is Born” could really be considered dramas, rather than musicals. And putting 2016’s “The Martian” under the comedy label struck some as, well, laughable.

Film:

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Best Motion Picture – Animated

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Best Director – Motion Picture

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

TV:

Best Television Series – Drama

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television 

On top of all of that, the Globes also regularly pay tribute to a Hollywood legend with the Cecil B. DeMille Award; recent honorees include Jane Fonda and Tom Hanks.

There is also the relatively new Carol Burnett Award, given in recognition of outstanding contributions to TV. Burnett was the inaugural recipient in 2019.

The requirements are fairly self-explanatory but also appear fairly prohibitive. You must, according to the 2017 application, live in L.A., be able to prove you’re a paid “Hollywood correspondent” for a foreign publication, be registered in the International Directory for the Motion Picture Association of America, and be sponsored by two people who are presently members. So start schmoozing!

Because of the usual prominence of its broadcast, the Globes are seen as a major stop on the film awards race circuit leading to the Academy Awards. And while they certainly they can swing public opinion about a particular movie or star, it’s worth remembering people who are in the HFPA are not in the Academy.

A 2013 study from FiveThirtyEight found that the Best Motion Picture Drama category has a 48 percent success rate of predicting the Oscar winner. That statistic resembles a 2016 Flavorwire analysis of the past decade that found that the Globes’ Best Picture (both comedy and drama) has a 50 percent chance of ending up the same as the Oscars’.

• Sharpen your skills by studying acting, writing, directing, producing, composing, and more!
• Read up on Backstage’s guides for a career in film or television
• Get an agent, sign that contract
• Master the audition and submission processes, and book gigs. Then keep applying to jobs!
• Network with your fellow artists
• Once your buzzy project is out, you may want to hire a publicist
• For more info on submitting to the Golden Globe Awards, visit their site

This article was originally published on Jan. 4, 2018 and has been updated throughout.