Golden Globes weekend kicks off with a potential Hollywood drama war

As Hollywood prepares for one of its most glamorous weekends, tension is simmering behind the scenes. Golden Globes.

Hollywood's brightest stars are set to shine at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 5 to honor the past year's outstanding achievements in film and television. Among the nominees celebrated on the night are: Ariana GrandeColin Farrell, ZendayaJake Gyllenhaal, Selena GomezKeira Knightley, Sebastian Stan, Kristen BellGlenn Powell, Adam Brody and Sofia Vergara.

The Golden Globes, hosted annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, have faced their share of controversy in recent years, but remain one of the most anticipated nights in entertainment.

According to Sixth pageis a bitter war between the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the organization that founded the iconic awards show nearly 80 years ago, and its new owners, Eldridge Industries, led by Chelsea FC owner Todd Bailey.

The core of the conflict? Many legacy HFPA members have reportedly been excluded from Sunday's star-studded ceremony, which A-listers enjoy Angelina JolieTimothée Chalamet and Demi Moore are expected to meet and celebrate.

Founded in 1943 by international entertainment journalists as a non-profit organization, the HFPA launched the Golden Globe Awards a year later, eventually turning it into one of Hollywood's most prestigious awards programs. Two years ago, however, Eldridge Industries restructured the organization, splitting it into two entities: a for-profit division responsible for running the Golden Globes and a nonprofit division that maintained the HFPA's charitable functions.

As part of the restructuring deal, HFPA's 66 “legacy members” were reportedly promised an annual salary of $75,000 for five years, health insurance, lifetime Globes voting rights and other benefits. The MPs also claim they were each promised four tickets to the annual event. However, Eldridge's sources dispute this, saying the tickets were never part of the contract. According to HFPA members, the ticketing clause was included in an addendum, separate from the main rules.

The situation escalated when 11 salaried legacy members were suddenly removed from office, leading to unrest in the HFPA ranks. Now many of these remaining members feel alienated from their creation.

In previous years, HFPA members have enjoyed prime seating at the Beverly Hilton Ballroom with Hollywood's biggest stars. However, this year, sources claim that around 50 participants were invited to attend a 'viewing party' in a separate hotel function room on Friday, just one day before the event. Basically, these founders will be watching this shiny thing on television screens, not experiencing it themselves.

The sudden and limited invitation only deepened the rift, leaving legacy members feeling out of place at the event they helped create. What was once a symbol of the HFPA's prestige and influence now appears to have become a vivid representation of power struggles and corporate restructuring.

As the cameras roll on Sunday and the stars dazzle on stage, the real drama may not be in the ballroom, but in the tension behind closed doors. One thing's for sure: the effects of this Hollywood power struggle won't fade away when the credits roll.

After last year's cast debacle with comedian Joe Coy left many viewers questioning whether the show should even have a host in the future, the Golden Globes are heading in a bold new direction. This year's Emmy-nominated stand-up comedian Nikki Glasser will take center stage as the event's master of ceremonies.

“I am truly thrilled to host the Golden Globes,” she said in a statement Vogue. “It's one of my favorite nights of television and now I've got a front row seat. The Golden Globes aren't just a huge night for TV and movies, they're also a huge night for comedy. It's one of the rare times when show business not only allows, but also encourages, lovingly mocking itself (at least I hope so). (God, I hope so.)”

“It's an exciting yet challenging gig because it's live, unpredictable and in front of Hollywood's biggest stars (who also get to have fun sitting next to their recent exes),” she continued. “Some of my all-time favorite jokes have come from past Golden Globes opening monologues, when Tina, Amy, or Ricky have said exactly what we all didn't know we desperately needed to hear. I just hope to carry on the time-honored tradition ( it can cancel me too).

The 2025 Golden Globe Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, January 5, 2025 at 8:00 PM EST.