Lorenzo Soria, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, passed away in his home on Friday for reasons that have yet to be disclosed, per Variety. He was 68 years old. The Hollywood Foreign Press is a non-profit responsible for setting up the Golden Globes awards as well as being a journalistic output for the entertainment industry.
Soria became president of the Hollywood Foreign Press in 2019, and most recently made headlines when the Golden Globes announced that they would have their 2021 ceremony pushed back from its typical early-January time to February 28th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An HFPA representative stated that, “Lorenzo was a beloved member of the entertainment industry and the Hollywood community and will be sorely missed.”
Soria, also a writer, was born in Argentina before moving to Los Angeles in 1982 from Italy and joining the HPFA in 1989. As the head of the HFPA, Soria contributed greatly to the recent success of the Golden Globes Award Ceremony, and is remembered for being extremely kind, hard-working, and respectful.
His family notes how “His passing is a deep loss for us and for all who knew him and who were blessed by his generosity, passion and sense of humour. He was deeply committed to the movie industry’s power to heal the world and shine a spotlight on injustice. His contributions and friendship were immense; he was a fighter whom we loved deeply.”