LOS ANGELES — Following years of allegations that a lack of a diverse membership led to racist choices in its Golden Globe nominations and awards, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced Wednesday that it has hired its first chief diversity officer: Neil Phillips. 

What You Need To Know

  • Neil Phillips is a Jamaican-American who lives in Sarasota, Fla.

  • He has won the Nantucket Project Audience Award multiple times for his “Race to Truth” talks on race in America

  • For the past several years, the 87-member HFPA has come under fire for lacking racial representation and allowing preferential treatment.

  • “The HFPA has welcomed me and given me the opportunity to work not only with them, but the broader Hollywood and media industries that have struggled to discuss these issues of race openly and candidly without fear,” Phillips said

Phillips is a Jamaican-American who lives in Sarasota, Fla. He has won the Nantucket Project Audience Award multiple times for his “Race to Truth” talks on race in America, as well as for his on-stage conversations with former president George W. Bush and “All in the Family” creator, Norman Lear. Phillips is currently working on a documentary about race and Black male achievement. 

“The HFPA has welcomed me and given me the opportunity to work not only with them, but the broader Hollywood and media industries that have struggled to discuss these issues of race openly and candidly without fear,” Phillips said in a statement. “I have always believed love is the answer to just about everything, and if that makes people uncomfortable, that’s okay because discomfort signals an opportunity for growth and discussion.”

For the past several years, the 87-member HFPA has come under fire for lacking racial representation and allowing preferential treatment. In May, NBC announced it would not broadcast the 2022 Golden Globes until it addressed its issues. 

Since June, the HFPA has been working with the Leadership Lab International consulting firm to help the organization “change the way we think and communicate,” HFPA President Helen Hoehne said in a statement.

“Neil brings a powerful voice for inclusion and diversity not just to the HFPA but also to the Hollywood community and media industry,” Hoehne said. “Through our reform process, we believe it is not sufficient to just make progress internally, but also necessary to provide a platform for greater diversity and inclusion in our industry and the entertainment community our members cover.”

Hoehne praised Phillips for “his willingness to talk openly about uncomfortable subjects” and leading by example.