Golden Globes host Jerrod Carmichael said he was chosen to emcee the event because of his skin color.
The 35-year-old comedian hosted the awards ceremony, which aired Tuesday night after being dropped from NBC in 2022.
“I’ll tell you why I’m here. I’m here because I’m black,” Carmichael began during his monologue, referencing how the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was accused of lack of diversity.
And here is your host for the 80th Annual #GoldenGlobes… It’s Jerrod Carmichael! 🎤 pic.twitter.com/tc8KIyt1E5
— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 11, 2023
“This show, the Golden Globe Awards, did not air last year because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which I won’t say they were a racist organization, but they didn’t have a single black member until George Floyd died,” he continued. “So do with that information what you will.”
The “Saturday Night Live” actor went on to describe how he got offered the hosting gig seemingly out of the blue.
“One minute you’re making mint tea at home, the next, you’re invited to be the black face of an embattled white organization,” he said during the speech before congratulating “six new black members” added to the voting committee following last year’s debacle.
HFPA president Helen Hoehne previously discussed their decision to have Carmichael as host.
“His comedic talents have entertained and thrilled audiences while providing thought-provoking moments that are so important in the times we live,” she said in December. “Jerrod is the special kind of talent this show calls for to kick off the awards season.”
In 2022, NBC chose not to air the Golden Globes due to the “magnitude” of diversity and ethical changes that needed to be made, as The Daily Wire reported.
“We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform,” NBC said in a statement at the time. “However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right. As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes. Assuming the organization executes on its plan, we are hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023.”
Following these accusations, the HFPA released a series of guidelines and pledged to add more people of color. These changes weren’t enough for some people, however, as Time’s Up president Tina Tchen said the proposed reforms were not significant.
“The window-dressing platitudes adopted yesterday are neither the transformation that was promised nor what our creative community deserves,” Tchen said. “Any organization or sponsors that set themselves up to pass judgment on our vibrant community of creators and talent must do better.”
The HFPA has since been working diligently to achieve diversity standards, which included hiring Carmichael as the host.