by The Cowl Editor on November 21, 2019
Arts & Entertainment
by: Daniel O’Neill ’21 A&E Staff
For the fifth time in his career, Ricky Gervais will host the Golden Globes in 2020. Gervais hosted the awards show four previous times, from 2010-2012 and then once again in 2016. Gervais is well-known for being the creator of the British television series The Office and for his somewhat offensive and controversial humor. During his previous occasions as host of the Golden Globes, he not only targeted specific stars like Bruce Willis, but he also took aim at the head of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Lorenzo Soria, as well as President Donald Trump. Gervais’ controversial nature has been popular among audience members in the past, and the 2020 show is likely to be a hit because of that.
This past year’s show was hosted by Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh, bringing in the lowest ratings in quite a while. Gervais’ style may be able to improve the ratings for the Golden Globes, as he is a fan favorite. The Golden Globes did not have hosts before Gervais debuted back in 2010, so it seems fitting that he hosts the 2020 awards ceremony.
By signing Ricky Gervais to be the host for this coming year’s ceremony, the Golden Globes are diverging from some other award shows, who are now opting to conduct award shows without hosts. This recent trend started with Kevin Hart stepping down from the Academy Awards position back in December of 2018.
This year is the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards, with nominations coming out next month. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which has been in charge of the event since 1944, represents more than 55 countries and has tried to make the Golden Globes ceremony a diverse celebration of the creativity and ingenuity of the award winners. A new addition to the ceremony is the nomination of Pierce Brosnan’s sons, Paris and Dylan, to be Golden Globe Ambassadors. They will take the stage during the ceremony to promote the charity of their choice, FEED, which is dedicated to eliminating childhood hunger. This year marks the first year that the two brothers will share the honor together.
One specific individual to watch this year is Tom Hanks, who already has eight Golden Globes to his name and 15 nominations overall. According to IndieWire, Hanks will be honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award, a lifetime achievement award to honor his commitment to and influence on Hollywood and the film industry overall. Ellen DeGeneres will also receive the Carol Burnett Award, which is a lifetime achievement award for an individual that has made incredible contributions to television. Both of these awards are extremely prestigious. The 2020 Golden Globe Award nominees will be announced on Dec. 9 at 8 a.m. The award show itself will be on January 5, 2020 at 8 p.m. in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony will be televised by NBC, and it will be produced by Dick Clark Productions. Both film and television eligibility criteria for nominations can be found online on the Golden Globes website.