The Hollywood Foreign Press has just announced that the traditional Golden Globes awards banquet and show are being canceled and will be replaced by a news conference format that NBC will air. According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, the new format will be an "hour-long HFPA press conference at The Beverly Hilton to be covered live by NBC News beginning at 6:00 pm PST on January 13."

Faced with multiple threats from the 72 nominees in the acting categories to be no-shows, as well as more solidarity on behalf of other performing and recording artists who sent word out last week that they, too, would not want to cross the WGA picket lines, the fate of the annual pomp and circumstance spectacle that kicks off the annual industry awards season hung in the balance as the strike wore on.

The announcement from the Hollywood Foreign Press came as follows, as reported on KNX1070:

"We are all very disappointed that our traditional awards ceremony will not take place this year and that millions of viewers worldwide will be deprived of seeing many of their favorite stars celebrating 2007's outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television,'' said Jorge Camara, president of The Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

"We take some comfort, however, in knowing that this year's Golden Globe Award recipients will be announced on the date originally scheduled,'' he said.

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