The 78th Golden Globe Awards have been pushed back from early January to February 28th, 2021 amid ongoing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new February date was actually occupied by the 93rd Academy Awards until last week, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that it would push back the Oscars two months to April 25th, 2021. As Variety notes, the new date for the Golden Globes means its results could potentially influence nominations voting for the Oscars, a process that begins March 5th.
A big part of the decision to postpone the Golden Globes and the Oscars is to open up the eligibility period for projects that have had their release and/or production schedules derailed by COVID-19. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which oversees the Golden Globes, said in a statement, “To accommodate both domestic and international film and television productions, the HFPA will provide further guidance around eligibility, voting period and revised nominations announcement timing in the coming weeks.”
Similarly, the Oscars released a statement last week saying, “Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone’s control.”
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are set to return to host the 2021 Golden Globe Awards. The show will air on February 28th from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET on NBC.
