HFPA Pulls Plug on Golden Globes Ceremony

Dozens of gift-bag stuffers suddenly bagless, stuffless.

by | January 8, 2008 | Comments

If you were planning on watching the Golden Globes this year, it’s officially time to find something else to do: in a move rumored for days, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has officially canceled this year’s ceremony.

Like seemingly everything else that happens in Hollywood these days, the HFPA’s decision was motivated by the writers’ strike. The Writers Guild of America made no secret of its plans to picket the Globes, and rebuffed efforts by the show’s producer, Dick Clark Productions, to broker a deal similar to the ones made by Worldwide Pants and United Artists — and the Screen Actors Guild cemented the fate of the ’08 Globes when it was announced that none of its nominated members would be attending the ceremony.

The winners will now be announced at a press conference at the Beverly Hilton, set to begin at 6 o’clock PM Pacific Standard Time on January 13. Jorge Camara, president of the HFPA, issued the following statement:

“We are all very disappointed that our traditional awards ceremony will not take place this year and that millions of viewers worldwide will be deprived of seeing many of their favorite stars celebrating 2007’s outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television.

“We take some comfort, however, in knowing that this year’s Golden Globe Award recipients will be announced on the date originally scheduled.”