The Golden Globe Awards is attempting to become Hollywood’s first sustainable awards show, featuring a reusable red carpet, paper drinking straws and a plant-based menu. Single-use plastic will be banned, with water poured from glass bottles, and food sourced locally wherever possible.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organises the event, said it wanted to highlight the climate crisis.
Leonardo DiCaprio, the actor and environmental campaigner, applauded the move by tweeting his thanks to the association.
But the vegan menu may pose an ethical dilemma for some of the stars, who like to round off the night by tucking into a burger from the fast food chain In-N-Out. This year that is likely to be considered bad form.
The menu is a last-minute change because the original plan unveiled in December featured a main course of Chilean sea bass. Diners will instead feast on wild mushroom risotto with king oyster mushroom “scallops”, roasted baby purple and green Brussels sprouts, globe carrots and pea tendrils.
The starter will be chilled golden beet soup with locally grown chervil and amaranth. The dessert is a “vegan take” on an opera cake, which is traditionally made with buttercream.
Last year Julia Roberts stopped off at In-N-Out on her way home from the Golden Globes and posted a picture of herself clutching a half-eaten burger in the back of her car. In 2016, the singer Katy Perry ordered a takeaway to be delivered during the ceremony.
Brie Larson, who won the Best Actress award that year, recalled: “My favourite moment was after I went back to my table after winning a Golden Globe, Katy Perry had a round of In-N-Out burgers for everybody hot and fresh.”
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Advertise with NZME.Explaining the move to environmental consciousness, Lorenzo Soria, president of the HFPA, said: “Over the holidays, we took time to reflect on the last year and began thinking about the new year and the decade ahead.
“The climate crisis is impossible to ignore and after speaking with our peers and friends in the community, we felt challenged to do better.”
Water will be served in glass bottles this year, rather than plastic ones.
Last year, a model paid to advertise Fiji Water on the red carpet became a viral sensation online when she popped up behind various celebrities. Mr Soria said the changes represented “a small step in response to a big problem”.
“We don’t think we’ll change the world with one meal, but we decided to take small steps to bring awareness. The food we eat, the way it is processed and grown and disposed of, all of that contributes to the climate crisis.” Mr Soria added: “We know awards shows have a long way to go, and we all can do better.”
Their message does not appear to apply to every element of the ceremony, however. The 10,000 blooms adorning The Beverly Hilton venue in Los Angeles are being flown in from Ecuador.
The last-minute menu change came as a surprise to Matthew Morgan, the hotel’s executive chef. “We had the menu with fish. Then we got together with the HFPA and they wanted to make this change to send a good message,” he said, admitting he was daunted by the idea of creating a risotto without Parmesan.
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Advertise with NZME.The Daily Telegraph
