The Golden Globes are making room for more nominees.
On Tuesday, the awards show announced the addition of two new categories: cinematic and box office achievement in motion pictures, and best stand-up comedian on television.
The box office category will have eight nominees, and films can also compete in other categories. To be eligible for this new section, the film must have grossed more than $150 million at the box office, and data from “recognised industry sources” will be used for streaming films.
The 81st Golden Globe Awards will be broadcast live on Sunday 7 January. The nominations will be announced on Monday, 11 December.
Helen Hoehne, president of the Golden Globes, said in a statement: “The Golden Globes have a rich history of supporting and celebrating the work of comedians, and we’re thrilled to honour their brilliance alongside the year’s outstanding film and television performances.
“In addition,” said Hoehne, “we are proud to recognise the hard work and innovation that goes into making a film that is both a blockbuster and artistically exceptional.”
Tim Gray, Executive Vice President of the Golden Globes, added: “The new Cinematography and Box Office Achievement Award goes beyond simply recognizing the year’s highest-grossing and highest-rated films. These films have not typically been recognised in industry awards, but they should be.”
So far this year, the top-grossing film at the domestic box office is Barbie, followed by The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Oppenheimer and The Little Mermaid.
In 2018, the Academy Awards introduced a Best Popular Film category, although the Academy quickly backtracked and cancelled the initiative. In 2022, the Oscars had two fan-voted categories: Fan Favourite and Oscars Cheer Moment.
In June, the Golden Globes, founded in 1943 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, announced that Dick Clark Productions and holding company Eldridge had “acquired all assets, rights and properties of the Golden Globes” from the HFPA, resulting in “the dissolution of the HFPA and its membership”.
The change in ownership of the awards comes months after the show returned to NBC in January following controversy over the HFPA in recent years. NBC did not broadcast the Golden Globes in 2022.
