Entertainment

There's More To the HFPA than the Golden Globes

by Rosie Narasaki

"... and, finally, I'd like to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association!" This group is probably the most-thanked entity out there, outranking spouses, children, agents, and managers on a per-speech basis. We've all heard the name dozens upon dozens (upon dozens) of times before, but just who is in this mythical HFPA? I've been watching the Golden Globes for about as long as I can remember, but I honestly have no idea. I mean, we can glean from their association's name that they are some form of press (and possibly some form of foreign), but other than that, it's anyone's game.

All I know is the hearsay — gossip about how the HFPA's more responsive to bribes than other awards show peeps, like, say, the Screen Actors Guild, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. I mean no shade at The Globes — last year's ceremony far outstripped the much-ridiculed snoozefest that was The Emmys (there, that was shade) — that's just literally all I know about them. So, enough with the speculation — let's take a visit to the HFPA website's "about" section, and see what we can find out!

They're a Non-Profit Organization

Maybe I'm just naive, but I had absolutely no idea that the HFPA was a non-profit. According to their website, the Golden Globe Awards garnered more than $15 million dollars over the last 19 years — the money goes towards entertainment-related charities, in case you were wondering.

They Were Founded During World War II

Apparently, "a handful of Los Angeles-based overseas journalists banded together to share contacts, information and material." Sounds legit (and kind of cool, actually).

Their Motto Was "Unity Without Discrimination of Religion or Race"

I can't speak for their international membership, but judging by their consistently very-white pool of nominees, I'm not sure they're doing the best job with this one.

They Represent Over 55 Countries & Have a Combined Readership of Approximately 250 Million

That's a lot of journalism, man. It kind of boggles the mind, eh?

Members Include Prestigious Publications, Such As...

"Le Figaro in France, L’Espresso in Italy and Vogue in Germany as well as the China Times, leading Brazilian web portal UOL and the pan-Arabic magazine Kul Al Osra," in addition to England's The Daily Telegraph and countless other international publications.

So, there's your little primer on what the HFPA actually is — now, it's time to kick back and enjoy the show (because you know Tina and Amy are going to kill it, again).

Images: Getty Images; Giphy (5)