Theo Kingma, HFPA President, Addresses HFPA Lawsuit, 'The Butler' Snubs And More

by UInterviewJanuary 9, 2014, 12:00 am >

Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) president Theo Kingma spoke about the 2014 Golden Globe snubs and responded to nomination criticism in an interview leading up to Sunday night’s awards.

Kingma was elected as HFPA president in 2013, and has presided over the organization at a tricky time. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is currently in the midst of a tense legal battle with Dick Clark Productions, who have the producing rights to the show. The HFPA originally sued Dick Clark Productions in 2010 alleging that Dick Clark Productions did not have the rights to negotiate a broadcasting contract with NBC without the HFPA’s consent. The HFPA claimed that, in doing so, Dick Clark Productions had potentially cost the HFPA millions, as other networks might have been willing to pay more for the broadcasting rights. The suit was resolved in Dick Clark Productions’ favor, and the company still acts as producers for the show while the HFPA appeals the ruling.

“It’s very cordial. Whatever legal things might be going on are put aside. It is never mentioned. And I talk to these people [Dick Clark Productions] 40, 50 times a day,” Kingma said of the working relationship between the HFPA and DCP in the aftermath of the legal battle.

The lawsuit cost the HFPA over $11 million in 2012, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is slowly running low on funds and public support. Certainly the allegations that one can buy a Golden Globe nomination, or even a win, have not helped. These accusations were so prevalent that three-time host Ricky Gervais continually joked about them throughout his hosting gigs, and not very forgivingly.

“And I’d like to quash this ridiculous rumor going around that the only reason The Tourist was nominated was so the Hollywood Foreign Press could hang out with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. That is rubbish. That is not the only reason. They also accepted bribes,” Gervais quipped at the 2012 Golden Globe Awards.

Regardless of whether or not the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has accepted bribes of any kind, the HFPA’s size is still a matter of contention for critics. Currently, the HFPA is only composed of 85 members. Kingma says he aims to add a few new members and defends the HFPA nominations, insisting that the nominees are not chosen based on anything other than the films

“Our nominations are based purely on merit. Our members take voting extremely seriously. You can see that in the nomination of Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), which could have fallen through the cracks. That was a small performance members still picked up on,” Kingma insisted in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Kingma went on to address what many have deemed the egregious snubbing of Lee Daniels’ The Butler, saying, “Yes, where is The Butler? Sadly, there are only five spots.”

Kingma also set the record straight when it comes to how films are categorized. This year’s nominations are particularly baffling, with Nebraska and August: Osage County in the ‘Comedy or Musical’ category for, seemingly, no reason whatsoever. Kingma states that the decision of category does not lie with the HFPA, but with the studios that submit the films for nominations, suggesting a peek at the sinister studio politics of award show season.

The 2014 Golden Globe Awards will air live on NBC at 8 p.m. E.T./5 p.m. P.T., with hosts Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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