Winner Awkwafina (from the Golden Globes website)
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s annual Golden Globe Awards have enabled the non-profit organization to donate more than $29 million in the past thirty years to entertainment-related charities, as well as funding scholarships and other programs for future film and television professionals. In the year 2017, the donations reached a total of over $2.8 million in grants destined to non-profits, institutions, and charities.
Known worldwide for its glittering Golden Globe Awards ceremony held every January and its multi-million dollar donations to charity, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association had humble origins that stemmed solely from a group of journalists’ desire to efficiently and accurately cover all aspects of the world of entertainment.
Today’s organization has its roots in the early 1940s when Pearl Harbor had drawn America into World War II. Audiences, hungry for diversion, were seeking out films offering escape, inspiration, and entertainment; and filmmakers such as Orson Welles, Preston Sturges, Darryl Zanuck and Michael Curtiz were working hard to fulfill the need. Amid the turmoil of war and the difficulties with communications, a handful of Los Angeles-based overseas journalists banded together to share contacts, information, and material. The idea was not a new one: previously, in 1928 the Hollywood Association of Foreign Correspondents (HAFCO) had been formed and, in 1935, the Foreign Press Society appeared. Both were short-lived, although the HAFCO had a brief moment in the spotlight when Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and other celebrities showed up at an International Ball the group organized at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
In 1943 the journalists, led by the correspondent for Britain’s Daily Mail, formed the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association and conceived the motto “Unity Without Discrimination of Religion or Race.” It was an uphill struggle at first as the film industry had not yet realized the importance of foreign markets. At first, the members held informal gatherings in private homes. As the membership grew, HFPA meetings were held in larger quarters, with the association selecting the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel as the location for group functions.
The group’s first special event was a luncheon in December 1947, at which a meritorious plaque was awarded to Harry M. Warner, president of Warner Bros., in recognition of his humanitarian work as the principal sponsor of the “Friendship Train,” which left Hollywood with food, clothing, and medical supplies for the needy of Europe.
In 1950 differing philosophies among members created a schism within the organization, resulting in a split into two separate groups — The Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association and the Foreign Press Association of Hollywood.
For a time, the two organizations existed side by side, with one group handing out Golden Globes while the other awarded Henriettas, named for their president, Henry Gris. The separation ended in 1955 when the journalists reunited under the collective title “The Hollywood Foreign Press Association” with firm guidelines and requirements for membership.
This year’s MUSIC winners were:
Best Original Score — Motion Picture
Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Joker”) – WINNER
Randy Newman (“Marriage Story”)
Thomas Newman (“1917”)
Daniel Pemberton (“Motherless Brooklyn”)
Alexandre Desplat (“Little Women”)
Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Daniel Craig (“Knives Out”)
Roman Griffin Davis (“Jojo Rabbit”)
Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”) – WINNER
Eddie Murphy (“Dolemite Is My Name”)
Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Awkwafina (“The Farewell”) – WINNER
Ana de Armas (“Knives Out”)
Cate Blanchett (“Where’d You Go, Bernadette”)
Beanie Feldstein (“Booksmart”)
Emma Thompson (“Late Night”)
The mission of the HFPA is:
To establish favorable relations and cultural ties between foreign countries and the United States of America by the dissemination of information concerning the American culture and traditions as depicted in motion pictures and television through news media in various foreign countries;
To recognize outstanding achievements by conferring annual Awards of Merit, (Golden Globe® Awards), serving as a constant incentive within the entertainment industry, both domestic and foreign, and to focus wide public attention upon the best in motion pictures and television;
To contribute to other nonprofit organizations connected with the entertainment industry and involved in educational, cultural, and humanitarian activities;
To promote interest in the study of the arts, including the development of talent in the entertainment field through scholarships given to major learning institutions.
More:
Awkwafina becomes first Asian woman to win Golden Globe for best actress in a musical or comedy film