It's got more stars than a meteor shower, more schmooze than a Washington fundraiser, and more champagne than the Trump nuptials. What is it? The Golden Globes—the awards ceremony for movies and TV shows, held since 1944 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Unlike other awards shows, which take place in auditoriums, the Golden Globes are "a throwback to 1940s Hollywood, when stars would go to a nightclub and have a wonderful meal," says publicist Michael Russell of the Michael Russell Group, who for 12 years has overseen most of the event, working with co-producers the HFPA and Dick Clark Productions. This super-glammed-up dinner party has been held for the past 31years in the Beverly Hilton's International Ballroom. The supper-club ambiance gives the event a more relaxed feel and, with both big- and small-screen powerhouses present, it allows for networking opportunities.
To the Hilt(on)
As the people who plan the Globes say, "For one night each year, the Beverly Hilton becomes a city of over 6,000"—of which only 1,300 are celebrities. The rest are media people, about 2,000 post-party guests, and others, including all 800 hotel staffers and over 200 law enforcement agents. Those agents, along with backup from the FBI and other top cops, ensure that the live broadcast isn't used "to make a statement," as the head security honcho puts it. Picture thousands descending on a nine-acre property that's on total lockdown; everyone passes through a metal detector and has her credentials checked to see which "zones" she's allowed access to.
Hilton staffers begin laying the red carpet at 5:30 a.m. the day before, covering the entire driveway, from the entrance around the porte cochere all the way to the ballroom—a 12-hour-plus task. The carpet was originally limited to the lobby until about 10 years ago, says Hilton spokesman Brian O'Connor: "Now it's such an extravaganza, we even remove landscaping to make room." Inside the ballroom, the biggest challenge is seating. "Everyone feels he should have the best table," says Russell, who, luckily, delegates this task to the HFPA. Do people ever demand to be moved? "I'm sure there've been threats—but no one would dare miss the event, either."
California Dreamin'
Orchestrating media coverage is a world unto itself. For instance, here's what happened when Jamie Foxx got the gold for Ray: First he was escorted, through the kitchen, to the still-photography room to pose for 40 shutterbugs, then to the video press-conference room so 32 camera crews could tape him as he fielded questions from 107 additional journos. Lastly, he ran the gauntlet of nine one-on-one TV interviews, conducted in separate ministudios set up in the Hilton's other ballroom on the other side of the hotel. All the while, the press was darting back and forth to various "deadline" rooms to file stories, in between grabbing grub and bubbly in the media tents.
"Everyone says this event is fun to cover," says Russell. "It's got the biggest assemblage of stars of any awards show and everybody's in a great mood. They're having the time of their lives, and it's fun to see that."