Golden Globes: HFPA pledges to appoint black judge to voting panel amid diversity controversy

Voting panel for award ceremony hasn’t contained a black judge since at least 2002, former president said

The Golden Globes organisers vowed to appoint a black judge to their voting panel following controversy over the lack of diversity in the award show’s nominees.

The annual award ceremony takes place on Sunday (28 February), with Amy Poehler and Tina Fey presenting as the year’s biggest films and TV shows compete for the night’s top prizes.

However, the Globes have come under particular fire this year for the lack of diversity in the nominations.

In particular, many criticised the total omission of Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You from the nominee list while Netflix’s critically panned series Emily in Paris received two nods.

The Golden Globes are voted for by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which consists of 87 entertainment journalists, none of whom are black.

Lily Collins was nominated for a Golden Globe for ‘Emily in Paris’ (Stephanie Branchu/Netflix)

Organisers have now pledged to rectify this “as soon as possible”, with a spokesperson for the HFPA telling The Telegraph that it was “fully committed to ensuring our membership is reflective of the communities around the world who love film, TV, and the artists inspiring and educating them”.

Read more: The Golden Globes snubbed Michaela Coel and honoured James Corden – do we live in hell?

They added: “We understand we need to bring in black members, as well as members from other underrepresented backgrounds.”

Speaking to Variety, former HFPA president Meher Tatna admitted that the organisation hadn’t had a black member since at least 2002.