The HFPA, which runs the Golden Globe Awards, has faced mounting pressure and boycotts over the diversity issue.
Netflix has cut ties with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group behind the Golden Globe Awards, until it makes stronger commitments around diversity and inclusion.
In a letter to the HFPA, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos blasted the group’s recent proposal for improving diversity among its ranks, and said Netflix will stop “any activities with your organisation until more meaningful changes are made. 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.”
This came after a number of members of the HFPA voted for inclusion and overhaul proposal that includes adding at least 20 new members in 2021 and boosting its ranks by 50% over the next 18 months.
“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 wrote.
He added: “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 rigour.”
The proposed changes follow an investigation published in February by the Los Angeles Times that noted there were currently no black members among the 87-member group of foreign entertainment journalists who make up the HFPA.
