Golden Globes Adds New Category For Movies People Have Actually Watched
Variety reports that the Golden Globes have introduced some new rules for how the organization will recognize candidates for the coveted award. Current Golden Globes executive vice president Tim Gray stated that although the organization has a history of not recognizing blockbuster movies it’s time to make way for films that not only pull huge numbers at the box office, but also boast artistic excellence. In addition to blockbuster movies, the Golden Globes will also recognize excellence on the stand-up comedy front, but there are certain criteria that need to be met in these two new categories.
On the blockbuster front, the Golden Globes have a set of requirements that need to be met for a film to receive consideration. In order for a blockbuster movie to qualify for a Golden Globe, it needs to gross at least $150 million, and of that $150 million, $100 million has to be earned domestically. If a movie was released exclusively on streaming, then the organization will have to consider the overall viewership of the film based on data collected from trusted industry sources.
A new report says that The Golden Globes have added two new categories: blockbuster movies and stand-up comic specials.
But high box office earnings or viewership doesn’t necessarily mean a film will qualify for the Golden Globes if the film doesn’t boast artistic excellence. In other words, earnings and viewership are just one barrier that blockbuster films need to break through before being considered a worthy contender. A total of eight nominees will be named for Golden Globe consideration when all is said and done.
If a blockbuster film meets the criteria, it will also be eligible for the Golden Globes in the Best Motion Picture category that corresponds with its respective genre.
When it comes to stand-up comedy, the Golden Globes also have their own set of criteria that need to be met. For a comedy special to qualify, it needs to have a run-time of over 30 minutes and be released on a recognized media platform like cable, streaming, and pay-per-view cable. A total of six nominees will be named for the category of Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television.
It’s tough to say whether this is a good move for the Golden Globes as an organization, but the review process raises a lot of questions.
These new categories may very well be the breath of fresh air that the Golden Globes needs, and in an ideal world we’ll see a spike in viewership when the telecast airs on January 7, 2024.
Critics aren’t necessarily thrilled with this new initiative. The prevailing sentiment is that by allowing big-budget blockbusters into the mix, the lower-budget artistic properties may get overshadowed by box office earnings alone.
But since the Golden Globes will consider the artistic merits of qualifying movies before nominating them for the award, we hope that this new category will simply allow movies that have considerable mainstream success to get a shot at not only a Golden Globe nomination but also a win.
Earnings and viewership are just one barrier that blockbuster films need to break through before being considered a worthy contender.
It’s tough to say whether this is a good move for the Golden Globes as an organization, but the review process raises a lot of questions. Sean O’Connell from Cinemablend questions the vetting process and wonders if the organization will be transparent about the streaming numbers for movies that didn’t get a theatrical release, which is a valid concern.
And once the box office and streaming numbers are tallied, what will be the review process for whether a film boasts artistic excellence or not?
This is an exciting development, nonetheless, and we’re just going to have to tune into the Golden Globes in January to see how everything shakes out.
