EY kicks off Hollywood awards season, finalizing the results of the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards®

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 6, 2016 /CNW/ -- The Hollywood award season is back. For the 43^rd consecutive year, EY will oversee the voting process for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Golden Globe Awards^®. Only three senior EY professionals know the results in advance of the ceremony – they will be on the red carpet donning handcuffed briefcases that contain the names of this year's Golden Globe^® winners.

Andy Sale, Ernst & Young LLP's partner responsible for the Golden Globe Awards^® engagement, says:

"The Golden Globe Awards^® marks the start of awards season, when the eyes of the world turn toward Hollywood to see which television shows and movies will be honored as the best in each category. Overseeing the voting process is a task EY takes very seriously, and the measures put in place safeguard the accuracy of the results, maintain the integrity of the process and protect the results until the very moment they are announced from the stage. We're proud to have been entrusted with this process by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for more than four decades."

EY's responsibilities for the Golden Globe Awards^® balloting process include:

• Confirming and qualifying the credentials of each voter to certify they meet the current standards of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association
• Overseeing the entire ballot gathering and tabulation process for both the nominations and final results
• Triple-checking final results to eliminate any margin of error
• Assembling winners' envelopes and maintaining exclusive control of these until moments before each celebrity presenter appears onstage

John Nendick, EY's Global Media & Entertainment Leader, says:

"Many of this year's nominations are for programs that are distributed on digital platforms, which is testament to the evolution of the entertainment industry, and its ability to produce and distribute quality content that transcends how it is viewed. Studios, networks and other content providers can continue to focus on understanding their audiences to create compelling content that will engage audiences no matter the platform." 

The 73^rd annual Golden Globe Awards^® will be telecast live on NBC Sunday, January 10, 2016, 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST from The Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, California. Comedian Ricky Gervais will host the show for the fourth time.

Notes to Editors

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About EY's Global Media & Entertainment Sector
In an industry synonymous with creativity and innovation, the bar for business excellence is set high. You need to embrace new technology, develop new distribution models and satisfy the demands of a voracious and outspoken consumer. At the same time, it's important to manage costs, exceed stakeholder expectations and comply with new regulations. There's always another challenge just around the corner. EY's Global Media & Entertainment Sector can help. We bring together a high-performance, worldwide team of media and entertainment professionals with deep technical experience in providing assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services to the industry's leaders. Our network of professionals collaborates and shares knowledge around the world to deliver exceptional client service, leveraging our leading market share position to provide you with actionable information, quickly and reliably.

SOURCE EY