Golden Globes ditches time delay for 2010

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association's new Golden Globe statuettes are shown during a news conference in Beverly Hills, California January 6, 2009.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Golden Globes will air live across the United States for the first time next year, meaning viewers on the west coast won't have to wait three hours to see what Hollywood stars wore to the annual awards bash.

In a statement issued on Thursday, event organizer the Hollywood Foreign Press Association acknowledged that the time delay was a quaint vestige of a simpler time.

"In this age when news is disseminated with increasing rapidity, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is delighted to announce that this year's Golden Globe Awards telecast will be aired live nationwide," said president Jorge Camara.

The 67th annual installment of the Golden Globes will be held on Sunday, January 17 at 5 p.m. PST (0100 GMT, Jan 18), and broadcast in the United States on NBC. Nominations will be announced on December 15.

The Golden Globe Awards annually are one of Hollywood's most-watched awards shows where the stars turn out in their finest gowns and tuxedos to parade up the red carpet and where awards are given for best films, TV shows and performances.

The Oscars, the world's top film honors handed out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, also air live across the United States.

But music industry's Grammys and television's Emmys still adhere to three-hour time delays. Officials at both organizations did not immediately offer reactions to the Golden Globe announcement.

The Golden Globes are produced by Dick Clark Prods., which also puts on the American Music Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards. Company president Orly Adelson said there were no plans to air the music shows live nationally because the emphasis is on performances rather than who actually wins.

With the Globes, "You want the audience to be live with you," she said, noting that large numbers of Americans watch the show at viewing parties.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)