George Lopez was unexpectedly absent from his post as the planned announcer of the 2023 Golden Globes nominations after testing positive for COVID.
The sitcom star and comedian fell ill prior to NBC and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s live announcement of the nods on Monday’s episode of the Today show, with the 61-year-old’s Lopez vs. Lopez costar Selenis Leyva filling in to reveal this year’s honorees alongside Lopez’s daughter, Mayan.
“And the Covid goes too…….George Lopez!” he wrote on Instagram Sunday evening. “Unfortunately I tested positive, so I’m unable to announce the Golden Globe Nominees. I wish MAYAN and SELENIS the best of luck….. Have fun!!”
So excited to have @selenis_leyva join Mayan Lopez to announce our 2023 Golden Globe Awards Nominees!
— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) December 12, 2022
EW has reached out to representatives for the HFPA for more information on the reported illness.
The 2023 nominations come after a controversial stretch for the HFPA, which saw the group attempt to recover from a racial exclusion scandal.
In February 2021, one week prior to the 78th Golden Globes broadcast, the Los Angeles Times published an exposé that showed there were no Black members among the HFPA’s 87-member votership. Following the article’s publication, the group faced backlash from a range of film professionals, including Ava DuVernay, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Cruise, who returned his three Golden Globe statuettes in protest. NBC later declared it wouldn’t air the telecast in 2022, while a band of 102 Hollywood publicity firms issued a joint statement pledging not to working with the HFPA until it took action for equity.
Earlier this year, NBC announced that the Globes would return in January, after nearly doubling their voting ranks. Last year, as the HFPA rolled out a scaled-back presentation of its annual awards via a private, non-televised ceremony, industry insiders told EW they weren’t optimistic about the organization ever returning to prominence.
“Any nomination from that organization this year is tainted,” a prominent publicity head anonymously told EW at the time. Another campaign mastermind added: “You focus on laurels that give pedigree and bring attention in a positive way. Given the conversation right now, [the Globes don’t] feel positive. [They don’t] feel like forward momentum.”
Winners will be announced at the 80th Golden Globes ceremony — hosted by comedian and actor Jerrod Carmichael — Tuesday, Jan. 10 on NBC.
Check out more from EW’s The Awardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year’s best in TV.
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