The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has added three new members bringing the organization that sponsors the Golden Globes to 85 people, it announced Monday.
The organization is known for keeping its membership small and for having long-time members. President Philip Berk, for instance, has been a member for 34 years.
Last year, the HFPA elected two new members. It didn't add any in 2009. In 2008, three new members were elected. The HFPA added two new members each in 2006 and 2007.
This year's new members are Kirpi Ulmonen Ballesteros, Barbara Gasser and Mirai Konishi.
Ballesteros writes for the Ilta-Sanomat, Kouluainen and Suosikki in Finland. Gasser writes for M-Starmedia Verlag and Maxima in Austria. Konishi writes for CUT and eiga.com in Japan.
The new members join four months after the organization was sued by its former publicist, who accused the HFPA of fraud and corrupt practices.
And in March, a federal judge ruled that the HFPA's lawsuit against Dick Clark Productions, the long-time producer of the Golden Globes telecast, can proceed. The organization accuses DCP of negotiating a new contract with NBC without first consulting HFPA leadership.
