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It was once one of Hollywood’s biggest and booziest nights – with the A-list stars who flocked to the ceremony to pick up their gongs, mercilessly roasted for the viewing entertainment of the millions who tuned in to watch.

British comedian Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globes five times, pushing the boundaries of celebrity mockery so far, it was a miracle they turned up to be teased.

But this year, the ceremony organisers will be waiting with baited breath to see how many stars turn up – and for a very different reason.

Mayan Lopez, Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) President Helen Hoehne and Selenis Leyva pose during the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards Nominations announcement in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. December 12, 2022. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
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Mayan Lopez (L) and Selenis Leyva (R) announced the nominations, pictured with HFPA President Helen Hoehne

Embroiled in scandal

Last year’s ceremony was quite literally a non-event – the celebrity-filled night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel was replaced by haphazard Twitter updates from the Golden Globes, after NBC refused to air the show.

The reason? The Globes organising body, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), found itself embroiled in scandal over a lack of diversity, accusations of sexism, and ethical and financial lapses among members.

An expose by the Los Angeles Times revealed that none of the 87 Hollywood Foreign Press Association members was black and the group had not had a black member since at least 2002.

So, this year – which is also the Globes’ 80th anniversary – there will be many eyes on the show.

Making changes

Since the fallout, the HFPA has been attempting to rebuild the awards’ reputation from the top down, adding more than 100 new voters to its voting body, which it says “is now 52% female, 51.5% racially and ethnically diverse”. For the first time, journalists from other countries can also be part of the mix.

Twenty-one new members joined the HFPA last year, six of whom are black, and membership eligibility was expanded from Los Angeles to anywhere in the United States.

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Golden Globes: British stars rake in nominations

Are awkward awards reflective of broader change in Hollywood?

Additionally, new rules around “freebies” and press trips have been imposed. Plus, they’ve set up a complaints hotline and hired a diversity officer.

In perhaps the biggest change of all, the Globes has also had a change of owner, after being purchased by billionaire Todd Boehly, who is in the process of shifting the voting body from its founding non-profit status to a for-profit model, (pending approval by the California attorney general). He plans to preserve the HFPA’s charitable work with a separate non-profit entity.

Brendan Fraser in The Whale. Pic: TIFF
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Brendan Fraser in The Whale. Pic: TIFF

Who will rock up?

So what can we expect? Some notable celebrities have said they will attend – including Michelle Williams and Judd Hirsch – with the night hosted by comedian Jerrod Carmichael.

Confirmed presenters include Quentin Tarantino, Jamie Lee Curtis and Ana De Armas.

British stars up for awards include Dame Emma Thompson, Olivia Colman, Bill Nighy and Daniel Craig. And pop megastar Taylor Swift will also take on Rihanna and Lady Gaga after being nominated in the category for best original song. But we must wait and see who will be there on the night.

Eddie Murphy will receive the coveted Cecil B DeMille award for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment, and five-time Golden Globe Award winner and 16-time nominee Ryan Murphy will receive the Carol Burnett Award, honouring excellence in television. One would expect them to come to pick up their gongs – but will they?

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And who will definitely not…

Someone who will definitely not be attending is Brendan Fraser – nominated for his star performance in The Whale – following an alleged incident at the Globes ceremony in 2003.

And while Tom Cruise didn’t get a nod for his performance in Top Gun: Maverick, it’s unlikely he would have turned up if he had, having reportedly handed back the three Golden Globe awards he had won over the years in protest.

It remains to be seen if the publicists and studios – including Netflix and WarnerMedia – who boycotted the 2022 event in protest at the body’s diversity issues – will be satisfied with the improvements.

And, as opposed to the multi-year contracts of the past worth tens of millions of dollars, NBC is hedging its bets by airing this year’s show under a one-year deal. Much is hanging on this year’s show – and the HFPA is likely holding its breath. Watch this space.

The 2023 Golden Globes will be held on Tuesday 10 January and broadcast on NBC and streaming service Peacock.

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Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia talked about modern masculinity before Gen Z was born 

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Pete Townshend's Quadrophenia talked about modern masculinity before Gen Z was born 

Despite The Who’s Quadrophenia being set over 60 years ago, Pete Townshend’s themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.

The album is having a renaissance as Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia A Mod ballet is being brought to life via dance at Sadler’s Wells East, and Sky News has an exclusive first look.

As Townshend puts it, the album he wrote is “perfect” for the stage.

Pete Townshend
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Pete Townshend

“My wife Rachel did the orchestration for me, and as soon as I heard it I said to her it would make a fabulous ballet and we never really let that go,” he tells Sky News.

“Heavy percussion, concussive sequences. They’re explosive moments. They’re also romantic movement moments.”

If you identify with the demographics of Millennial, Gen Y or Gen Z, you might not be familiar with The Who and Mod culture.

But in post-war Britain the Mods were a cultural phenomenon characterised by fashion, music, and of course, scooters. The young rebels were seen as a counter-culture to the establishment and The Who, with Roger Daltry’s lead vocals and Pete Townshend’s writing, were the soundtrack.

More on The Who

Quadrophenia the album is widely regarded as an essay on the British adolescent experience at the time, focusing on the life of fictional protagonist Jimmy – a young Mod struggling with his sanity, self-doubt, and alienation. 

Townshend sets the rock opera in 1965 but thinks its themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.

He says: “The phobias and the restrictions and the unwritten laws about how young men should behave. The ground that they broke, that we broke because I was a part of it.

“Men were letting go of [the] wartime-related, uniform-related stance that if I wear this kind of outfit it makes me look like a man.”

Paris Fitzpatrick and Pete Townshend. Pic: Johan Persson
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Paris Fitzpatrick and Pete Townshend. Pic: Johan Persson

This struggle of modern masculinity and identity appears to be echoing today as manosphere influencers like Andrew Tate, incel culture, and Netflix’s Adolescence make headlines.

For dancer Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy, the story resonates.

Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy in the ballet
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Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy in the ballet

“I think there’s a connection massively and I think there may even be a little more revival in some way,” he tells Sky News.

“I love that myself. I love non-conforming to gender norms and typical masculinity; I think it’s great to challenge things.”

Despite the album being written before he was born, the dancer says he was familiar with the genre already.

“I actually did an art GCSE project about Mods and rockers and Quadrophenia,” he says.

“I think we’ll be able to bring it to new audiences and hopefully, maybe people will be inspired to to learn more about their music and the whole cultural movement of the early 60s.”

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In 1979, the album was adapted into a film directed by Franc Roddam starring Ray Winstone and Sting but Townshend admits because the film missed key points he is “not a big fan”.

“What it turned out to be in the movie was a story about culture, about social scenario and less about really the specifics of mental illness and how that affects young people,” he adds, also complimenting Roddam’s writing for the film.

Perhaps a testament to Pete Townshend’s creativity, Quadrophenia started as an album, was successfully adapted to film and now it will hit the stage as a contemporary ballet.

It appears that over six decades later Mod culture is still cool and their issues still relatable.

Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet will tour to Plymouth Theatre Royal from 28 May to 1 June 2025, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 10 to 14 June 2025 and the Mayflower, Southampton from 18 to 21 June 2025 before having its official opening at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London on 24 June running to 13 July 2025 and then visiting The Lowry, Salford from 15 to 19 July 2025.

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Russell Brand charged with rape and sexual assault

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Russell Brand charged with rape and sexual assault

Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.

The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault.

The charges relate to four women.

He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May.

Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999 and indecently assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2001.

He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004.

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Ashna Hurynag discusses Russell Brand’s charges

The fourth charge alleges that a woman was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.

Police began investigating Brand, from Oxfordshire, in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations.

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The comedian has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.

He added in a video on X: “Of course, I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”

Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.

“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”

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Tom Cruise leads moment of silence in tribute to ‘dear friend’ Val Kilmer

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Tom Cruise leads moment of silence in tribute to 'dear friend' Val Kilmer

Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.

Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.

Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.

Tom Cruise, star of the upcoming film "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning," leads a moment of silence for late actor Val Kilmer during the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon at Caesars Palace on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP

Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
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Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP

His last part was a cameo role in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.

Cruise, on stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, said: “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick.

“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.

“I wish you well on the next journey.”

The moment of silence followed a string of tributes from Hollywood figures including Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas and Michelle Monaghan.

Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times on Wednesday that the actor had died from pneumonia.

Tom Cruise takes part in the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon at Caesars Palace on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP

Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer discussed his illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime documentary Val.

He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the disease and also had a tracheostomy which damaged his vocal cords and permanently gave him a raspy speaking voice.

Kilmer played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.

Read more from Sky News:
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He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holliday in the 1993 film Tombstone.

In 1988 he married British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met while working on fantasy adventure Willow.

The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.

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