The US awards show is aiming for a fresh start, and comedian and actor Jo Koy will host the newly redesigned Golden Globes, the organizers revealed on Thursday.
The stand-up comedian, who starred in Disney’s Haunted Mansion and Easter Sunday, expressed his excitement about being in charge of the celebration, which marks the beginning of three months of industry celebrations.
“I’ve stepped onto a lot of stages around the world in my career, but this one is going to be extra special,” he said.
“This is that moment where I get to make my Filipino family proud.”
The 81st Golden Globes are looking for a bit of a comeback for a brand that has been in the doghouse of Tinseltown for the past several years.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which casts the votes for the awards, has no Black members, according to a 2021 Los Angeles Times exposé.
A host of other long-simmering critiques of the HFPA, including claims of corruption and amateurism, were brought to light by that disclosure.
The HFPA was dissolved earlier this year when a group of private investors, led by US millionaire Todd Boehly, acquired and redesigned the awards’ brands and assets.
Former Hollywood Film Producers Association members are now paid a salary to vote for their favorite movies and television shows, and they are prohibited from receiving gifts.
The Globes pool now includes over 200 non-member (and unpaid) voters from 75 different countries.
The unexpected duo of movies that ruled the box office and gave rise to a plethora of online memes this summer, Barbie and Oppenheimer, were revealed by the organizers to have topped their nominations this month.
With their simultaneous theatrical premieres, the two blockbusters became known as “Barbenheimer” and are off to a great start in Hollywood’s film awards season, which culminates with the Oscars in March.
Past Lives received five nominations, while Killers of the Flower Moon received seven. Poor Things and Killers of the Flower Moon were both well-liked by Globe voters.
Following NBC’s termination of its broadcast agreement, CBS, one of the largest national television networks in the US, has taken over as the Globes’ new home.
The 2023 Golden Globes saw a new low of barely 6.3 million viewers, and CBS executives will be hoping for significantly higher ratings—especially because other shows, like the Oscars, have recovered from their viewership nadirs.
Marvel blockbuster film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie are among the other finalists.
A-listers such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Stone are also in the mix, as are Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers), Timothee Chalamet (Wonka), Natalie Portman (May December) and Bradley Cooper – as both actor and director of Maestro.
The 81st Golden Globes ceremony will take place in Beverly Hills on 7 January.
