Inside the Revolt of the Golden Globes’ “Legacy Voters”

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What is the Hollywood Foreign Press Association without the Golden Globes? We may soon find out.

Since 1940, numerous Los Angeles-based journalists from international publications have managed and operated the HFPA, a well-known nonprofit organization that hosts an annual awards ceremony. However, in 2023, after receiving significant criticism for its ethics, financial management, and diversity issues following a 2021 expose by the Los Angeles Times, which led to the loss of their primary revenue source (a TV broadcasting deal), the HFPA was sold. The buyers were Dick Clark Productions (which also owns The Hollywood Reporter) and Eldridge, a company owned by Todd Boehly.

The decision, endorsed by over 90 members of the HFPA, mandated the dissolution of the HFPA. Previously paid members, earning a combined $5.2 million in the fiscal year ending June 2023 (as stated in IRS documents), would transition into employees of a new, profit-driven Golden Globes organization. Their compensation would be either a one-time payment of $250,000 or an annual salary of $75,000 for five years.

Helen Hoehne, the former president of the HFPA, was appointed as the new organization’s president. As part of an initiative to enhance diversity within the voting body, numerous journalists from various regions worldwide would be invited to join as unpaid members.

Since the deal’s completion two years ago, the Golden Globes organization has been implementing new bylaws and policies that have boosted industry trust and brought their awards show back to network television. As a result, the number of original HFPA members, often referred to as “legacy voters,” has dropped to approximately 60, primarily due to expulsions, terminations for misconduct (such as the case of former HFFA president Philip Berk), and some deaths, including longtime HFPA member Judy Solomon.

In the interim, the original voters who have been relying on the system are growing increasingly disgruntled, especially after Hoehne announced earlier this year that the Golden Globe organization would cease the annual $75,000 payments due to fears it might influence voting perceptions. These legacy voters were given a severance package worth $102,500, fulfilling their contractual rights according to the organization’s representative, and were encouraged to reapply for membership in the future.

On Monday, it was initially announced by The Ankler that former members of the HFPA’s board, prior to the 2023 agreement, gathered and voted to re-establish the HFPA. Their stance, as stated by individuals privy to the conversation, is that the 2023 deal was invalidated due to DCP and Eldridge withdrawing their compensation, along with not fulfilling other promises about travel expenses, award ceremony seats, and lifetime voting rights. They are urging California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office, which monitors nonprofits and charities and has yet to approve the 2023 deal, to step in. Notably, it seems these legacy voters have lost trust in Hoehne, a fellow board member, whom they now view with skepticism, and they voted on Thursday to remove her from the board. However, she still holds the position of president for the Golden Globes organization. (TheWrap first reported this development.)

As a gamer, I’ve been following the recent developments regarding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Although I, along with many others who support their legacy, back their past endeavors, not everyone agrees with their current actions. Jeff Harris and Dr. Joanna Dodd Massey, two of the non-members appointed to the HFPA board last year as part of a reform initiative following the Times exposé, and who facilitated the sale of the Golden Globes on behalf of its members, stepped down from the board this week. In a letter obtained by THR, Massey addressed the board, stating, “We approved and executed a legally binding agreement to sell the Golden Globes and disband the HFPA – an action I believe the membership supported, aiming to preserve the Golden Globes and continue their noble charitable work. The decision reflected a stark reality: the Hollywood community has made it clear they won’t support the Globes as long as the HFPA members are involved. The transaction was conducted transparently and according to due process, as all documentation, notes, and emails confirm.

Massey expressed, “The ongoing attempt to undo it – through debating the agreement, resurrecting the HFPA, and re-establishing memberships – appears, in my opinion, deeply problematic and lacking in legal basis. I had desired to stay on the board to advocate for a sincere investigation of the facts. However, given what I’ve learned about the recent meeting, it is evident that understanding is not the objective; instead, the goal seems to be reversing the agreement.” She further stated, “From my experience as an Independent Director on various public and private company boards, the actions the board is taking now are a clear violation of fiduciary responsibility.

I’m pondering over the fact that some folks are raising doubts about who truly owns the Golden Globe Awards event.

In a letter dated May 17th, 2023, obtained by THR, California’s Attorney General communicated to DCP and Eldridge lawyers that they do not have the power to evaluate the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s proposed transaction, except for the portion involving a charitable trust (5% of Golden Globe Awards net profits). In simpler terms, the deal’s only part needing or requiring state approval is the transfer of the HFPA’s charitable trust, now called the Golden Globe Foundation. The delay in providing this approval is due to an influx of complaints from individual legacy voters overwhelming the Attorney General’s office.

If the newly reformed HFPA manages to persuade the AG not to approve the deal, would this halt only the charitable trust aspect of the agreement, or the entire contract altogether? In case it’s just the former, a natural question that arises is: What role does the HFPA play without the Golden Globes, which were the primary source of funds for its charitable trust prior to the deal? If the answer is that the entire agreement would be nullified, then there are questions about whether the Golden Globes – scheduled to air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on January 11, 2026 – might once again face industry boycotts. Additionally, if this were to happen, would legacy voters also need to return the remuneration they received from DCP and Eldridge over the past two years?

It’s possible that we might never uncover the answers to these questions; some people are contemplating this because if a financial agreement can be struck to resolve all complaints held by the HFPA’s legacy voters against the Golden Globes organization, then California’s Attorney General would have no grounds for involvement.

DCP and Eldridge officials chose not to provide a statement at this time. Lawyer Reynolds Cafferata, who represents the traditional voters, along with the California Attorney General’s office, have yet to offer their thoughts on the matter.

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2025-07-05 00:54