[imagesource: Robyn Beck / AFP]

You’re not the only one who wouldn’t be sad to see the back of one of the many, many entertainment industry awards ceremonies.

The Academy Awards, or Oscars to you and I, can stay, especially when they reward superb South African productions, but it looks like we might be nearing the end of the road for the Golden Globes.

After 77 years, the awards show is facing a backlash that could shut it down for good, with NBC announcing earlier this week that they would not be airing the Globes next year.

On top of that, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which administers the awards, is facing boycotts from some of the industry’s biggest names and powerful forces, like Netflix, Amazon, WarnerMedia, and even Tom Cruise.

The action star and Scientology crusader returned his Globes recently, won for his performances in Jerry Maguire, Born on the Fourth of July, and Magnolia.

VICE has mapped out how we arrived at this point in great detail, but we’ll pick a few of the more salient points out:

This whole fiasco started back in February, when the Los Angeles Times published a story revealing a galling lack of diversity at the HFPA.

Additionally, the Times reported, the HFPA’s members have been accused of accepting expensive gifts, press trips, and access to talent in exchange for Golden Globes votes, among other ethical improprieties.

The HFPA is made up of about 86 members, but hasn’t had a single Black member in more than 20 years.

Regarding gifts, Emily in Paris, which can kindly be described as a steaming pile of utter shite, earned two Globe nominations this year, after 30 HFPA members flew to Paris to visit the set, staying in a plush $1 400-a-night hotel, along with enjoying other perks.

Sure, seems fair.

NBC’s announcement that the network won’t broadcast the awards is a real kick in the teeth:

The HFPA could ostensibly hold the Golden Globes without a network willing to broadcast them.

It’s also possible—and perhaps more likely—that they’ll scrap next year’s awards altogether…

If NBC [permanently] cuts ties with the Golden Globes, the HFPA will have to find another network willing to air the awards show. That wouldn’t be easy—especially considering that the Globes’ ratings, like those of all awards shows, have been plummeting for years.

This year’s Oscars ratings were down 58% when compared to last year, and the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards was the lowest-rated in Grammys’ history.

There are many factors to consider with regards to those declining figures, but there’s no denying that the public’s appetite seems to be waning.

At least the Globes gave us those Ricky Gervais hosting moments to enjoy, although even that did wear thin in recent years.

Let’s sign off with a compilation of some of the most stinging quips from his five years of playing host:

[source:vice]