Striking Hollywood writers scored twin victories on Monday by forcing Golden Globe Award sponsors to cancel their traditional star-studded telecast and reaching a deal to put writers back to work at Tom Cruise’s film company.

Facing a likely boycott by Globe nominees and presenters reluctant to cross picket lines, organisers of the January 13 event said they will scrap the usual gala ceremony in favour of an hour-long “press conference” to be carried live by NBC News.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) previously refused to grant a special waiver, permitting the Globes show to go on with union writers, as the WGA allowed for Monday night’s lower-profile Critics Choice Awards airing on cable channel VH1.

Cancellation of the annual Golden Globes show marks the latest casualty of the nine-week-old strike by about 10,500 WGA members against the major film and TV studios.