Los Angeles: This year's Golden Globes ceremony is to be cancelled after actors vowed to boycott the event in support of striking Hollywood writers, the Los Angeles Times has reported on its website.

The Times, citing an email sent by broadcasters to studios, reported yesterday that the traditional televised dinner and prize presentation had been scrapped in favour of a press conference and a scaled-back red carpet event.

The fate of the Golden Globes -- due to be held in Beverly Hills on Sunday -- had been hanging in the balance ever since striking writers vowed to erect picket lines around the awards show last week.

On Friday, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) announced that its members would not cross picket lines set up by writers, who are locked in a bitter dispute with film and television producers.

The actors union s decision immediately called into question plans for the black-tie dinner and awards presentations which are normally televised live by US broadcaster NBC.

According to the Times report, the Golden Globes organisers the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) had reached a compromise deal that would allow winners to receive their awards informally on Sunday.

The victors would then be announced in a televised press conference instead of the usual ceremony.

Hollywood screenwriters have been on strike since November 5 after the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed to agree terms for a new contract that expired in October.

The two-month strike has forced the suspension of numerous television series as well as the postponement of work on several Hollywood films.

Source : PTI