Criticism of Golden Globes' journalists 'mostly stems from jealousy' over access and luxury freebies, committee member tells Sky News

• The HFPA, the committee behind the awards have been accused of being easily influenced and prohibiting new members.
• Husam Asi, a member of the HFPA told Sky News that the claims were unfounded and "mostly stem from jealousy."
• The 78th Golden Globe Awards takes place tonight and will be presented by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

A Golden Globes committee member told Sky News that criticism of the group behind the awards 'mostly stems from jealousy.'

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which organizes the awards and selects the winners, has faced various accusations throughout the year, including that votes are easily influenced, and new members are prohibited from joining the secretive committee.

Husam Asi, a member of the HFPA and BBC Cinematic presenter based in LA, told Sky News that the claims were made by envious journalists who do not get the same access to stars or party and trip invitations as HFPA members.

The comments come after it was revealed that 'Emily in Paris' producers flew the judges out to Paris for a luxury set visit in 2019.

The nomination of 'Emily in Paris' under 'Best musical or comedy TV series' and Lily Collins for the 'Best Actress' has been one of the biggest controversies the Golden Globes has faced, with many questioning why it was chosen over the likes of Michaela Coel's 'I May Destroy You.'

The HFPA, comprised of 87 international journalists, were paid almost $2m between 2019 and 2020, The Guardian reported.

The lack of diversity has also been criticized - there are no Black members on the committee - particularly by the LA Times, who have been running a series of investigations into the awards.

Celebrities including Shonda Rhimes, Amy Schumer, Kerry Washington, Alyssa Milano, Lupita Nyong'o, and J.J. Abrams shared an image with the hashtag #TimesUpGlobes on social media.

In response to this, the committee said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times on Thursday: "We understand that we need to bring in Black members, as well as members from other underrepresented backgrounds, and we will immediately work to implement an action plan to achieve these goals as soon as possible."

Kjersti Flaa, an LA-based Norwegian entertainment journalist, sued HFPA after being denied membership and accused it of a "culture of corruption" with members accepting "thousands of dollars in emoluments" from studios and celebrities, The Guardian added.

The suit was dismissed, partly because Flaa, who is legally deaf and blind, couldn't prove economic or professional hardship, the Times noted. HFPA's lawyer Marvin Putnam called it "a transparent attempt to shake down the HFPA based on jealousy, not merit."

Flaa told Sky News that the HFPA tried to portray her as a "bad person and a disgruntled journalist," but others have since come forward with similar experiences about their treatment by it.

She added: "It's kind of a relief for me to see that it's not only me and my colleagues that have been treated badly. It's all over the place."

The 78th Golden Globe Awards takes place tonight and will be presented by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler from The Beverly Hilton.