LOS ANGELES — Returning for the first time in nearly two years, the awards show long billed as "Hollywood's Party of the Year" felt more like a humble comeback than a cork-popping spectacle when the Golden Globes aired Tuesday night.
"I'll tell you why I'm here," said host Jerrod Carmichael in his opening monologue from the Beverly Hilton ballroom stage. "I'm here because I'm Black. … This show did not air last year because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, I won't say they were a racist organization, but they didn't have a single Black member until George Floyd died, so do with that information what you will."
The mood around the Golden Globes had been anything but celebratory leading up to its 80th ceremony, which was broadcast on NBC and its streaming platform, Peacock. The HFPA, the organization's nominating body of journalists, has for the last two years been embroiled in ethical, financial and racial scandals involving bribery, grift and a stunning lack of diversity … even by Hollywood terms. The investigations triggered boycotts of the association and the show from celebrities such as Tom Cruise and networks like NBC, who dropped the broadcast last year. Studios including Netflix and WarnerMedia also cut ties.
