In 1943, a group of writers formed the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The awards have been called an indicator of who will be nominated for an Oscar. They now play a significant role in film marketing. The first Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best achievements in 1943 filmmaking, were held late in January 1944, at the 20th Century-Fox. Miss Golden Globes is usually a kid of a Hollywood star. This year, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sydgewick's daughter, Sosie, will be helping to pass out the marble and gold statuettes. Melanie Griffith, Laura Dern and Rumor Wills are other star's progeny who have been "Golden Globes."

Beamed to 167 countries, it ranks as the the third most-watched awards show each year, behind only the Oscars and the Grammy Awards.

The Golden Globes are not afraid of playing favorites. Meryl Streep holds the record for the most competitive Golden Globe wins, with eight. However, including honorary awards, such as the Henrietta Award, World Film Favorite Actor/Actress Award, or Cecil B. DeMille Award, Barbra Streisand leads with nine. Streisand won for composing the song Evergreen (Love Theme From a Star is Born), producing the (critically panned) Best Picture (Comedy/Musical) (A Star Is Born in the ceremony held in 1977), and directing Yentl in 1984. Jack Nicholson, Angela Lansbury and Alan Alda have six awards each.

The awards fest has not be scandal-free. 1968, the Federal Communications Commission claimed the show "misled the public as to how the winners were determined." (Winners were determined by lobby; if winners did not attend the event, then another name would be chosen.)

In 1981, Pia Zadora won a Golden Globe in the category "Newcomer-of-the-Year" for her performance in Butterfly, over such competition as Elizabeth McGovern (Ragtime) and Kathleen Turner (Body Heat). Accusations were made that the Foreign Press Association members had been bought off. Zadora's husband, multimillionaire Meshulam Riklis, flew voting members to his casino, the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, which gave the appearance that they voted for Zadora to repay this. Riklis also invited voting members to his house for a lavish lunch and a showing of the film. He also spent a great deal on advertising. Furthermore, Zadora had made her film debut some 17 years earlier as a child performer in "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians." Judge for yourself; watch"Butterfly" and "Body Heat." This year the Globes will air Jan. 12 over NBC.

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Web page at www.creators.com.