Netflix & Amazon Pull Away From Golden Globes Until HFPA Improves Diversity

Netflix and Amazon have joined a number of studios and organizations in distancing themselves from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) until the organization improves its diversity among members. The historic move comes just after Time’s Up called out the group for its lack of inclusivity and reform proposals which, they feel, amount to “window-dressing platitudes.”

Netflix’s co-CEO and chief content officer Ted Sarandos penned a letter to the HFPA’s leadership committee on Thursday detailing that he, like many others, is not satisfied with the organization’s plans to restructure amid controversy for its lack of diversity.

The HFPA is a group of journalists who conduct the yearly Golden Globe Awards.

“Like many in our industry, we’ve been waiting for today’s announcement in the hope that you would acknowledge the breadth of issues facing the HFPA and provide a clear roadmap for change,” Sarandos said in the letter, according to Deadline. “Today’s vote is an important first step. However, we don’t believe these proposed new policies — particularly around the size and speed of membership growth — will tackle the HFPA’s systemic diversity and inclusion challenges, or the lack of clear standards for how your members should operate.”

Sarandos added, “So we’re stopping any activities with your organization until more meaningful changes are made. We know that you have many well-intentioned members who want real change — and that all of us have more work to do to create an equitable and inclusive industry. But Netflix and many of the talent and creators we work with cannot ignore the HFPA’s collective failure to address these crucial issues with urgency and rigor.”

HFPA President Ali Sar issued a reply to Sarandos stating that the HFPA has “always valued our relationship with Netflix as we seek to bring news about motion pictures and television to the world.”

“We hear your concerns about the changes our association needs to make and want to assure you that we are working diligently on all of them,” Sar said. “We can assure you that our plan reflects input from our supporters and critics alike, and we truly believe that our plan will drive meaningful reform and inclusion within our Association and in a way that the entire industry can be proud of.”

“We are proud that our plan was overwhelmingly approved by more than 90 percent of the membership,” Sar added. “There is no question the membership is embracing this opportunity.”

Sar then requested to meet with Sarandos and his team to discuss the reforms that the organization is planning. “An open dialogue would help to ensure that we are addressing these concerns as quickly as possible,” Sar insisted, before addressing “some misinformation” in the conclusion of his letter.

On Friday night, Amazon Studios followed suit, with chief Jennifer Salke issuing a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “We have not been working with the HFPA since these issues were first raised, and like the rest of the industry, we are awaiting a sincere and significant resolution before moving forward,” said Salke.

Michael is a music and television junkie keen on most things that are not a complete and total bore. You can follow him on Twitter — @Tweetskoor