The beleaguered Hollywood Foreign Press Association said it will not livestream Sunday's Golden Globes Awards but instead will hold a private ceremony.

The event, which was pulled off of NBC last May amid controversy surrounding the lack of diversity among HFPA board members, will go on without any live video coverage, the HFPA announced Thursday in a tweet. “We will be providing real-time updates on winners on the Golden Globes website and our social media,” according to the Twitter post.

Earlier this week the HFPA said it would reveal the Golden Globe Awards winners Sunday evening from the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles, as well as focus on the “long-established philanthropy work of the HFPA.” Nominations for the Golden Globes were announced in December, with HBO/HBO Max garnering 15 nominations on the TV side, followed by Hulu and Netflix with 10 nods.

Also: HBO's 'Succession,' Netflix's 'Power of the Dog' Lead Golden Globe Nominations ■ 

The beleaguered Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced its 2022 Golden Globe Awards nominations Monday (December 13) as the organization continues to operate with no TV home for its January 9 awards ceremony and under a cloud of controversy that threatens to undermine its relevance

With Snoop Dogg reading the names of the nominees — often incorrectly, to humorous effect — the Golden Globes will forge ahead even as the HFPA continues to face criticism over the lack of diversity among its board members. In a release, the HFPA said it had admitted “their largest and most diverse class to date of 21 new members, all of whom are first-time Golden Globe voters.” Still, it’s unclear if the January 9 show will air on traditional television after longtime distributor NBC announced earlier in the year that it will not televise the Globes ceremony due to the controversy.  

This year’s Golden Globes nominations in the television categories featured more diversity than last year’s nomination class. Nods for Uzo Abdula (HBO’s In Treatment) and Michaela Jae Rodriguez (FX’s Pose) in the best actress drama category, as well as Issa Rae (HBO’s Insecure) and Tracee Ellis Ross (ABC’s Black-ish) for best comedy/movie actress, and Cynthia Erivo (National Geographic’s Genius: Aretha) for best actress in a television motion picture come one year after no actresses of color were nominated in any major TV category for 2021. That was despite industry recognized performances from Emmy-nominated actress Jurnee Smollett in HBO’s Lovecraft Country and Critics Choice Awards-nominated Michaela Coel in HBO’s drama series I May Destroy You.

Also, the HFPA recognized shows featuring people of color in lead roles such as Netflix’s Squid Game and Lupin as well as FX’s Pose (best drama series), Amazon’s The Underground Railroad (best television motion picture) and FX’s Reservation Dogs (best musical/comedy series). 

The HFPA gravitated to streaming services in a big way in its nomination choices. Hulu and Netflix were the big standouts with 10 nominations each — behind only the 15 nods from the combined HBO/HBO Plus — with Apple TV Plus coming in with eight nods. 

In addition, seven of the top 10 most-nominated shows were from streaming services, led by Apple TV Plus'sThe Morning Show and Ted Lasso with four nominations each, followed by three nominations each for Hulu’s Dopesick, The Great and Only Murders in the Building, HBO Max’s Hacks, and Netflix’s Maid and Squid Game.

Also, the HFPA has often been lauded — and at times criticized — for its penchant for nominating shows that are considered outside of Hollywood’s mainstream, but this year’s list of nominations seemed to have fewer surprise nominations than in previous years. With the exceptions of Netflix’s Lupin and Squid Game along with FX’s Reservation Dogs, many of its nominations were given to the industry’s most high-profile and most talked-about shows, from top-nominated series, HBO’s Succession, to Apple TV Plus's Ted Lasso.  ■  

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association took to the Golden Globes awards stage to address recent controversies surrounding the lack of Black members.

Also Read: Photos: 2021 Golden Globes

HFPA Vice President Helen Hoehne, President Ali Sar and Chairman of the Board Meher Tatna address the issue during Sunday’s Golden Globes telecast, saying the organization -- which determines Golden Globes nominations and winners -- will work toward diversifying its membership, which has no Blacks among its 87 members. 

Hollywood stars recently took aim at the organization regarding diversity, launching the #TimesupGlobes campaign on social media to highlight the HFPA’s lack of Black members.

Also Read: Hollywood Foreign Press Association Slammed for Lack of Diversity

“Tonight while we celebrate the work of our artists from around the globe, we recognize we have our own work to do,” Hoehne said. “Just like in film and  television, black representation is vital. We must have black journalists in our organization.”

Tatna added: “We must also ensure everyone from all underrepresented communities gets a seat at our table, and we are going to make that happen.”

Sar ended by saying that the effort “means creating an environment where diverse membership is the norm, not the exception. We look forward to a more inclusive future.”

Golden Globes hosts Tina Fey and Amy Pohler took a shot at the HFPA in their opening monologue, with Fey quipping, “ Inclusivity is important, and there are no Black members of the Hollywood Foreign Press. I realize HFPA, maybe you guys didn’t get the memo because your workplace is the back booth of a French McDonald’s, but you’ve got to change that. So here’s to changing it.” 

Also Read: Live Golden Globes Coverage

After the show, the Time's Up organization sent very terse letters to both the HFPA and NBC, which aired the Globes, saying that the organization's statements during the show fell short of addressing its diversity problem, according to thewrap.com.

Criticism from Hollywood over the lack of black members within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) threatens to overshadow Sunday’s Golden Globes awards event. 

Ava DuVernay, Shonda Rhimes, Sterling K. Brown and Ellen Barkin are among several Hollywood stars that took to social media Friday to criticize the HFPA -- which selects Golden Globes Awards nominees and winners -- for a lack of diversity in its membership.  Not one of the 87 HFPA members are black, a fact illustrated in a common #TimesupGlobes theme among the many social media posts that hit Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on Friday.

Also Read: DGA TV Diversity Report: Progress Made...and Still Needed

The criticism comes amid a recent Los Angeles Times story which alleges ethical issues among HFPA members and questions the credentials of some members.

The HFPA responded with its own social media post, saying that it recognizes the problem. “We understand that we need to bring in Black members, as well as members from other underrepresented backgrounds, and will immediately work to implement an action plan to achieve these goals as soon as possible,” according to the HFPA tweet.

The Golden Globes Awards are set to air Sunday on NBC, with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting the virtual presentation.

The HFPA was criticized earlier this month for not recognizing a number of shows and films featuring black casts in its 2021 Golden Globes Awards nominations, including snubs of Netflix film Da 5 Bloods and HBO TV drama series I May Destroy You.  

Also Read: Netflix Rules Golden Globe Nominations

Netflix’s Bridgerton is a late entry to the TV awards fray, having been released on Christmas Day. But with Netflix noting that more than 63 million people have tuned in to binge the period-drama delight, Bridgerton is a possible Golden Globes drama nominee ahead of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s nominations on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

The frothy series — stuffed full of jaw-dropping costumes, flashy jewelry and sky-high wigs — should appeal to the international journalists who make up the HFPA, with its setting in 1813 London and its cast of British actors. 

Bridgerton showed up right when it was needed — at the end of a difficult 2020 that included the first-ever modern global pandemic, which kept people around the world in their homes for most of the year, as well as a contentious presidential election and frequent protests against racial injustice and police brutality.

“Television was more important than ever this year,” Aaron Barnhart, TV critic for website Primetimer, said. “This is a relatively late air date for the Globes, which gives them a chance to position themselves as the predictor of Emmy winners. The Golden Globes have such a high visibility that they could actually wind up being the premiere television award, supplanting the Emmys.” 

Whether that turns out to be true remains to be seen, but the HFPA has its work cut out for it selecting among all of this year’s worthy options. 

‘The Crown’ Shines in Drama

Netflix’s The Crown, with its more serious tone and sedate look than bright Bridgerton, is probably the lead drama contender in 2021, especially without last year’s winner, HBO’s Succession, in the mix. Both last year’s winner, Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth, and Emma Corrin, with her uncanny and tragic portrayal of Princess Diana, are considered lead contenders for best actress nominations. While the two could split the vote, the HFPA is loath to repeat itself, which could push Corrin higher in contention. Josh O’Connor’s Prince Charles, with his back hunched and his hands perpetually in his pockets, also is a best actor contender.

“The Crown was more scandalous and less interesting this season,” Barnhart said. Barnhart would like to see Tobias Menzes, who plays Prince Philip and has been seen on such shows as Game of Thrones and Outlander, get a nomination, as well as Erin Doherty, who plays the very stiff-upper-lipped Princess Anne.

Also considered likely drama nominations are Netflix’s oft-nominated Ozark, which aired season three in 2020, and AMC’s Better Call Saul, which is widely considered one of TV’s best shows but hasn’t earned anywhere close the number of accolades as its progenitor, Breaking Bad. 

Ozark’s Laura Linney, Jason Bateman and Julia Garner are all likely to score best actress, best actor and best supporting actress nods, with Garner having won the Emmy for this role in 2019 and 2020. Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk, portraying attorney Jimmy McGill’s transformation into criminal lawyer Saul Goodman, also is expected to be listed among the best TV drama actors.

Both HBO’s wild Lovecraft Country and its period piece Perry Mason should score noms, with Perry Mason star and producer Matthew Rhys leading the list of expected best-actor nominations. Rhys won the Emmy in 2018 for playing Russian spy Phillip Jennings in FX’s The Americans. Lovecraft Country leads Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett also are both expected to appear on the best actor and best actress lists.

Finally, Disney Plus’s The Mandalorian is a popular favorite, with fan love high for Baby Yoda/Grogu. Star Pedro Pascal, who played one of the villains in WarnerMedia’s Wonder Woman 1984, also could be nominated.

‘Creek’ Still Rising

On the comedy side, Pop TV/Netflix’s Schitt’s Creek is still riding high, with its cast — and particularly Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy as Moira and Johnny Rose — expected to grab Globes. That would be a first for the veteran Canadian comedic performers.

But with Schitt’s Creek having swept the comedy Emmys, the HFPA may want to veer to something new. Options include Hulu’s The Great, starring likely nominees Elle Fanning and Nicolas Hoult, or Apple TV Plus’s Ted Lasso, starring and created by Jason Sudeikis, which was born out of a content marketing play for NBC Sports. 

“I could see Ted Lasso getting the comedy award because it finished so strong,” Barnhart said. “It threw you off with the first couple of episodes, and then it went deep with its characters and wrapped up so satisfyingly so that you’re looking forward to season two. Who would have thought that this little promotional campaign would have become this?”

Last year’s winner, Hulu’s Ramy, remains in play, especially with a guest turn from double Oscar winner Mahershala Ali.

FX has fan-fave vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, and a late entry is HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant starring and executive produced by Kaley Cuoco, who also is a contender for best actress in a comedy.

Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, which, like Bridgerton, is a period piece driven by buzz as well as the performance of lead actress Anya Taylor-Joy, has risen to the top of the contenders’ list for limited series. It’s joined by Netflix’s Unorthodox, which scored eight Emmy nominations and won best director of a limited series for Maria Schrader. Other contenders include FX’s Mrs. America, starring Cate Blanchett, and perennial nominee Fargo, now in its fourth iteration and starring Chris Rock. 

HBO should be competing in this category with The Undoing, starring likely nominees Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant and executive produced by David E. Kelly, as well as Michaela Coel’s auteur-driven I May Destroy You. Steve McQueen’s anthology Small Axe, which plays like a series of short films on Amazon, will likely show up here, as well as Hulu’s tortured but beautiful Irish romance Normal People.