The Golden Globes try to win you back by inviting Jerrod Carmichael to host
After navigating controversy since 2021, the Golden Globe Awards are trying to stage a triumphant return with Jerrod Carmichael at the helm
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is really trying to elevate itself out of mistrust and disgrace with this year’s Golden Globe Awards. NBC has already agreed to bring the ceremony back to broadcast (on Tuesday, January 10, 2023) after a year’s hiatus. The next step, clearly, is to get young, hip talent like Jerrod Carmichael in the driver’s seat.
Thus: “We’re so excited to have Jerrod Carmichael host the historic 80th Golden Globe Awards,” HFPA President Helen Hoehne announced in a press release on Thursday. “His comedic talents have entertained and thrilled audiences while providing thought-provoking moments that are so important in the times we live. Jerrod is the special kind of talent this show calls for to kick off the awards season.”
Jesse Collins, executive producer and CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment (which co-produces the show alongside Dick Clark Productions), said in his own statement, “Jerrod is a phenomenal talent with a fresh perspective and excellent comedic style. We’re all thrilled to have him host this year’s show.”
Carmichael is a good get for the Globes. He recently won an Emmy for his groundbreaking comedy special, Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel, and was nominated in the same ceremony for his hosting gig on Saturday Night Live. He’s proven himself unafraid of speaking truth to power, which has a positive precedent at the ceremony (though here the HFPA, in its vulnerable state, has wisely chosen to align itself with a comic who stands up for trans people, which is more than can be said for its famous former host).
The awards show needs Carmichael’s cred, because it doesn’t have its own with some of the biggest stars of the year. Brendan Fraser, an awards season frontrunner and critical darling, has indicated he won’t attend even if he’s nominated for The Whale. Tom Cruise, who made the year’s biggest hit Top Gun: Maverick, hasn’t made any such declarations, but back in 2021, he made one of the biggest statements against the organization by returning his three trophies amidst the controversy.
Nominees for this year’s Golden Globe Awards will be announced by NBC sitcom stars George Lopez and Mayan Lopez on Monday, December 12 (per Variety). Whether Carmichael can win the show some viewers will be determined when it returns on January 10.