Highlights
- The Golden Globes have historically ignored anime films, but this year two received nominations for Best Animated Feature.
- The Golden Globes have faced controversies and accusations of bias, which led to reform efforts and the show being sold to Dick Wolf Productions.
- The nominations for anime films at the Golden Globes this year show progress and indicate that the new voting members are paying attention to aspects of anime beyond animation quality.
The Golden Globes has been an institution since 1944. For years, they have been considered a predecessor award that could be useful to winning other awards down the line during the awards season (especially with speeches, that could serve as a preview of what winners will bring to the table come Oscar night).
Like most awards bodies, this does not mean they are without their controversies or snubs. Anime in particular has had a frosty relationship with the Golden Globes, to the point where many anime fans don’t take them all that seriously. It turns out that anime just made history in a few significant ways with the nominations for the 81st Golden Globe Awards.
The History of Anime at the Golden Globes
Anime films have historically had an especially frosty history at the Golden Globes, with limited acknowledgment from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Despite the awards having their inaugural show in 1944, no anime was nominated until 2018, when Momaru Hosoda’s Mirai was the first anime to be nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature.
Despite this, anime’s consistent representation at the Golden Globes remained modest. The HFPA would frequently snub highly acclaimed anime films, including (but not limited to):
- Paprika (Satoshi Kon)
- The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Isao Takahata)
- The Red Turtle (Michael Dudok de Wit)
- Weathering with You (Makato Shinkai)
- Belle (Manoru Hosoda)
Despite years of quality films that have been recognized by the Oscars and BAFTA, anime has largely been something the Golden Globes have ignored.
The Golden Globes Sell Out
Despite being considered a prestigious event that is a precursor to later awards, The Golden Globe Awards found itself embroiled in a series of controversies that garnered widespread attention. Foremost among these concerns was the stark lack of diversity within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association itself and a perception of bias in the nomination process. In the latter’s case, there were unsettling allegations of unethical behavior by some HFPA members.
Shortly after, accusations surfaced that certain members had accepted gifts and favors from studios in exchange for favorable treatment in nominations and awards (a notable example being Netflix flying out many voters to Paris for a vacation, which seemed to result in Emily in Paris – a comedy show with middling review – getting nominations in major categories like “Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy”. This raised critical questions about the impartiality and ethical standards governing the awards.
Furthermore, the broadcast of the awards faced a significant setback when NBC announced it would not air the 2022 ceremony due to the ongoing controversies and diversity concerns, underscoring the severity of the issues at hand. All these controversies led to calls for change in the industry. In response to these challenges, the HFPA committed to implementing reforms, focusing on diversifying its membership and revamping its governance structure.
However, the effectiveness and sincerity of these reform efforts were largely considered to be ineffective. After the overhauling largely failed, the HFPA sold the show to Dick Wolf Productions (sometimes known as Wolf Entertainment) and the HFPA themselves disbanded. The Golden Globe Awards now faces a pivotal moment in its history, as it seeks to rebuild trust and relevance in the entertainment business, though it may have just taken its first major step with a few nominations this year.
How the Golden Globes Just Made Anime History
Who knows if the new voting members for Dick Wolf Productions have resulted in a voting body that is more in tune with the film world? However, many writers who cover the awards circuit were surprised at the maturity of the Gold Globe nominations this year (though Netflix’s May December is certainly a questional film to call a comedy). When it came to anime, you would almost have thought that the Golden Globes were progressive with the art form. Not only did they nominate an anime film for the first time since Mirai, but they also nominated two: The Boy and the Heron and Suzume.
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki and Makato Shinkai (respectively), the Golden Globes (with six nominations for each category) found it in their hearts to nominate two anime films for Best Animated Feature, something even the Academy Awards have difficulty doing themselves. What’s more, The Boy and the Heron also received a nomination for Best Score, which was composed by long-time Miyazaki collaborator Joe Hisaishi. This nomination is the first of its kind for an anime film, and showed that the new voting members were paying attention to aspects of anime outside of just whether or not it’s a good animated film.
The Golden Globes still have a long way to go. We have no idea if either of these films will win, and anime still has never been nominated for any screenplays, songs, Foreign Language, or Best Picture awards. Considering this is just the second year out of an over 80-year history that anime is even in competition at the Golden Globes, it highlights just how unusual these nominations are.
Sources: inc.com, ABC7
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