Golden Raspberry Awards

The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known in short terms as Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, the Razzie Awards' satirical annual ceremony has preceded its polar opposite, the coveted Academy Awards, for four decades. The term raspberry is used in its irreverent sense, as in "blowing a raspberry". The statuette itself is a golf ball-sized raspberry atop a mangled Super 8mm film reel spray-painted gold, with an estimated street value of $4.97. The Golden Raspberry Foundation have claimed that the award "encourages well-known filmmakers and top notch performers to own their bad."

The first Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony was held on March 31, 1981, in John J. B. Wilson's living-room alcove in Hollywood, to honor the perceived worst films of the 1980 film season. To this day, Sylvester Stallone is the most awarded actor ever with 10 awards won while Madonna is the most awarded actress with 9 awards.

History[]

John J. B. Wilson at the 29th Golden Raspberry Awards in 2009.

American publicist John J. B. Wilson traditionally held potluck parties at his home in Hollywood on the night of the Academy Awards. In 1981, after the 53rd Academy Awards had completed for the evening, Wilson invited friends to give random award presentations in his living room. Wilson decided to hold the event, after seeing a 99-cent double feature of Can't Stop the Music and Xanadu. He gave attendees ballots to vote on the worst. Wilson stood at a podium made of cardboard in a tacky tuxedo, with a foam ball attached to a broomstick as a fake microphone, and announced Can't Stop the Music as the first Golden Raspberry Award Winner for Worst Picture. The impromptu ceremony was a success and the following week a press release about his event was picked up by a few local newspapers, including a mention in the Los Angeles Daily News with the headline: "Take These Envelopes, Please".

Approximately three dozen people came to the 1st Golden Raspberry Awards. The 2nd Golden Raspberry Awards had double the attendance, and the 3rd awards ceremony had doubled that number. By the 4th Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony, CNN and two major wire services covered the event. "We finally figured out you couldn't compete with the Oscars on Oscar night, but if you went the night before, when the press from all over the world are here and they are looking for something to do, it could well catch on," Wilson told BBC News.

Format[]

Members of the Golden Raspberry Award Organization (composed of filmmakers and very opinionated film buffs from around the world) vote to determine the recipients. Voting members hail from all 50 U.S. states and every continent with the exception of Antarctica.

Worst Supporting Actress at the 29th Golden Raspberry Awards.

The ceremony is modeled after the Academy Awards but done with deliberate intent to be low-end and tacky.^{[citation needed]}

Recipients who have accepted their award[]

Main article: List of people who have accepted Golden Raspberry Awards

Recipients who have accepted their Golden Raspberry Award include Tom Green (Worst Actor/Worst Director), Halle Berry and Sandra Bullock (Worst Actress), Michael Ferris, J. D. Shapiro (Worst Screenplay), Paul Verhoeven (Worst Director), eight-time Oscar Winner Alan Menken, Dinesh D'Souza, Fifty Shades of Grey producers Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Contenders for worst and best[]

Several people have gotten Razzie nominations for being the worst at something while at the same time, they got nominations from other organisations for being the best.

Razzie and Oscar[]

Three people won both the Razzies and Oscars the same weekend: Alan Menken in 1993, Brian Helgeland in 1997, and Sandra Bullock in 2010, although each of the three won for two different films in the same year (for example, Helgeland won both a Razzie and an Oscar for The Postman and L.A. Confidential, respectively). Three actors had performances in the same movie netting them both Oscar and Razzie nominations, James Coco (Only When I Laugh), Amy Irving (Yentl) and Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy). The Aerosmith song "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", as part of the original soundtrack to the 1998 film Armageddon, was nominated for both an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song, as were the Trisha Yearwood song "How Do I Live" from the 1997 film Con Air and the Tony Bennett song "Life in a Looking Glass" from the 1986 film That's Life!.

Gena Rowlands was nominated in the Academy Award for Best Actress category for her role in the 1980 John Cassavetes film Gloria while her co-star John Adames won the Worst Supporting Actor alongside co-winner Laurence Olivier in a remake of the 1927 film The Jazz Singer.

Wall Street (1987) is the only film to date to win both an Oscar and a Razzie. Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor, while Daryl Hannah's performance earned her a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actress.

Disney's The Lone Ranger may have won one (Worst Remake) of its five nominations, but it was also nominated for two Oscars (for Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Visual Effects).

The 1983 romance/dance film Flashdance was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Screenplay, but won one of its three Oscar nominations for Best Original Song for Irene Cara's "Flashdance... What a Feeling".

While 1992's The Bodyguard was a critical failure (earning seven Razzie nominations), it was a huge box office hit and, moreover, its multi-platinum soundtrack album overshadowed the film that it garnered two nominations for Best Original Song.

Joker (2019) was the most nominated film at the 92nd Academy Awards, having scored 11 nominations including the Academy Award for Best Picture, and won two including the Academy Award for Best Actor. However, the film's polarized critical reception resulted in it earning a nomination in the special Razzie Category Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property, which it lost to Rambo: Last Blood. This nomination also made Joker the second film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and a Razzie, after 1990's The Godfather Part III.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm was nominated for two Academy Awards at the 93rd Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Maria Bakalova in the same year it was nominated for two Razzies at the 41st Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Supporting Actor for Rudy Giuliani and Worst Screen Combo for Giuliani and Bakalova (later changed to Giuliani and "his pants zipper").

Razzie and Annie Award[]

In spite of the heavily negative critical consensus (winning only one of its six nominations), the 2012 action film Battleship was also nominated for an Annie Award for Best Animated Effects in a Live Action Production.

Despite receiving the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, voice actor Ahmed Best won an Annie Award in 2009 for the portrayal of the same character in the animated TV episode Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II.

Razzie and Golden Globe[]

Neil Diamond, winner of the inaugural Worst Actor Razzie for 1980's The Jazz Singer, was nominated for the Golden Globe in the same role.

1988's Cocktail won two of its four nominations for Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay, but the Beach Boys's song "Kokomo" was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song.

Despite being a major critical and commercial disappointment, and only receiving the most awards and nominations (including Worst Picture and Worst Director (Tom Hooper)), the 2019 film Cats was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song for Taylor Swift's song "Beautiful Ghosts".

The Sia-directed autism musical Music, nominated for four Razzies, was also nominated for two Golden Globes; Best Actress (Kate Hudson, who won a Razzie) and Best Picture, both for Musical or Comedy.

Razzie and Grammy[]

Various songs received wins/nominations for both the Razzie and the Grammy Awards, such as Madonna's "Die Another Day" (Best Dance Recording), Will Smith's "Wild Wild West" (Best Rap Solo Performance), Britney Spears' "Overprotected" (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance), U2's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" (Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal), The Smashing Pumpkins' "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" (Best Hard Rock Performance), and LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live" (Best Female Country Vocal Performance).

Razzie and Saturn Award[]

In 1981, Stanley Kubrick was nominated both for a Razzie Award as Worst Director at the 1st Golden Raspberry Awards as well as for a Saturn Award for Best Director at the 8th Saturn Awards for the same film: 'The Shining'. In 2002, Natalie Portman was nominated for Worst Supporting Actress and for the Saturn Award for Best Actress for the same role in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Cassandra Peterson was nominated for Worst Actress at the 9th Golden Raspberry Awards and for Best Actress at the 16th Saturn Awards for her role as Elvira in the 1988 film Elvira: Mistress of the Dark.

In 2001, whilst Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes garnered all three Razzies it was nominated for, Rick Baker's makeup designs were very well received, that it earned him a Saturn Award nomination for Best Makeup, while Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Roth and Colleen Atwood were respectively nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Costume.

The 1997 apocalyptic film The Postman "received" all five awards, but also three Saturn nominations.

Razzie and international awards[]

In 1985, Michael Cimino's Year of the Dragon, which was nominated for five Razzie Awards (including Worst Picture) at the 6th Golden Raspberry Awards, was also nominated for the César Award for Best Foreign Film (César du meilleur film étranger) and was listed by the prestigious French magazine Cahiers du Cinéma as the third best film of 1985.

In 2017, Darren Aronofsky, director of Mother!, was nominated for both the Worst Director Razzie at the 38th Golden Raspberry Awards and the Golden Lion at the 74th Venice International Film Festival.

In 2018, the mystery comedy Holmes & Watson won four of its six nominations (including Worst Picture and Worst Director (Etan Cohen)) at the 39th Golden Raspberry Awards, but was also nominated for two ALFS Awards (including British Actor (Steve Coogan) and Young British Performer (Noah Jupe)).

Despite Johnny Depp receiving two Razzie nominations for his performance in the film, Emily Blunt received an ALFS Award nomination for her performance in the CGI-animated box office hit Sherlock Gnomes. She also received nominations for her parts in the critically acclaimed movies A Quiet Place and Mary Poppins Returns.

While M. Night Shyamalan's After Earth tied Movie 43 for the most awards with three, it also brought its composer James Newton Howard a World Soundtrack Award nomination for Film Composer of the Year.

Categories[]

Current Awards

Worst Picture: 1980 to present
Worst Director: 1980 to present
Worst Actor: 1980 to present
Worst Actress: 1980 to present
Worst Supporting Actor: 1980 to present
Worst Supporting Actress: 1980 to present
Worst Screenplay: 1980 to present
Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel: 1994 to present, except 1996 and 1999
Worst Screen Combo: 2013 to present
The Razzie Redeemer Award: 2014 to present

Retired

Worst Original Song: 1980 to 1999, 2002
Worst New Star: 1981 to 1998, except 1989
Worst Musical Score: 1981 to 1985
Worst Visual Effects: 1986 to 1987
Worst Screen Couple: 1994 to 2009, 2011 to 2012
Worst Screen Couple/Worst Screen Ensemble: 2010
Worst Screen Ensemble: 2011 to 2012

Special categories[]

Special categories have also been introduced for specific years. Such special awards include:

Year	Category	Winner	Nominees
1996	Worst Written Film Grossing Over $100 Million	Twister—Michael Crichton & Anne-Marie Martin	The Hunchback of Notre Dame—Tab Murphy, Irene Mecchi, Bob Tzudiker & Noni WhiteIndependence Day—Dean Devlin & Roland EmmerichMission: Impossible—David Koepp and Robert TowneA Time to Kill—Akiva Goldsman
1997	Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property	Con Air	Batman & RobinThe Lost World: Jurassic ParkTurbulenceVolcano
1998	Worst Movie Trends of the Year	58-year-old leading men wooing 28-year-old leading ladies	Trailers that give away the film's entire plotLonger movies, shorter plotsTHX Deafening AudioMega-zillion-dollar cross-promotional overkill: Armageddon, Godzilla, etc.
2002	Most Flatulent Teen-Targeted Movie	Jackass: The Movie	Eight Crazy NightsCrossroadsScooby-DooXXX
2003	Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie (All Concept/No Content)	The Cat in the Hat	2 Fast 2 FuriousCharlie's Angels: Full ThrottleFrom Justin to KellyThe Real Cancun
2005	Most Tiresome Tabloid Targets	Tom Cruise, his baby, Katie Holmes, Oprah Winfrey's couch and the Eiffel Tower	Tom Cruise and his anti-psychiatry rantParis Hilton and... "who EVER!"Mr. and Mrs. Britney, their baby (Sean Preston Federline) and their camcorderThe Simpsons: Ashlee, Jessica and Nick
2006	Worst Excuse for Family Entertainment	RV	Deck the HallsGarfield: A Tail of Two KittiesThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape ClauseThe Shaggy Dog
2007	Worst Excuse for a Horror Movie	I Know Who Killed Me	Aliens vs. Predator: RequiemCaptivityHannibal RisingHostel: Part II
2010	Worst Eye-Gouging Misuse of 3D	The Last Airbender	Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty GaloreClash of the TitansThe NutcrackerSaw 3D
2017	The Razzie Nominee So Rotten You Loved It	Baywatch	The Emoji MovieFifty Shades DarkerThe MummyTransformers: The Last Knight
2019	Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property	Rambo: Last Blood	Dragged Across ConcreteThe Haunting of Sharon TateHellboyJoker

Anniversary Awards[]

Every decade-closing ceremony includes an award for the worst actors and movies of the decade—though the 2000 ceremony put the actors as worst of the 20th century instead. Special prizes for the 25th anniversary of the Razzies awards were also given out in 2005.

Period/Ceremony	Category	Winner	Nominees
1980s (10th)	Worst Actor	Sylvester Stallone	Christopher AtkinsRyan O'NealPrinceJohn Travolta
	Worst Actress	Bo Derek	Faye DunawayMadonnaBrooke ShieldsPia Zadora
	Worst Picture of the Decade	Mommie Dearest (1981)	Bolero (1984)Howard the Duck (1986)The Lonely Lady (1983)Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
	Worst New Star of the Decade	Pia Zadora	Christopher Atkins Madonna PrinceDiana Scarwid
1990s (20th)	Worst Actor of the Century	Sylvester Stallone	Kevin CostnerPrinceWilliam ShatnerPauly Shore
	Worst Actress of the Century	Madonna	Elizabeth BerkleyBo DerekBrooke ShieldsPia Zadora
	Worst Picture of the Decade	Showgirls (1995)	An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1998)Hudson Hawk (1991)The Postman (1997)Striptease (1996)
	Worst New Star of the Decade	Pauly Shore	Elizabeth BerkleyAhmed BestSofia CoppolaDennis Rodman
Of Our First 25 Years (25th)	Worst Razzie Loser	Arnold Schwarzenegger	Kim BasingerAngelina JolieRyan O'NealKeanu Reeves
	Worst Drama	Battlefield Earth (2000)	The Lonely Lady (1983)Mommie Dearest (1981)Showgirls (1995)Swept Away (2002)
	Worst Comedy	Gigli (2003)	The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)The Cat in the Hat (2003)Freddy Got Fingered (2001)Leonard Part 6 (1987)
	Worst Musical	From Justin to Kelly (2003)	Can't Stop the Music (1980)Glitter (2001)Rhinestone (1984)Spice World (1998)Xanadu (1980)
2000s (30th)	Worst Actor of the Decade	Eddie Murphy	Ben AffleckMike MyersRob Schneider John Travolta
	Worst Actress of the Decade	Paris Hilton	Mariah CareyLindsay LohanJennifer LopezMadonna
	Worst Picture of the Decade	Battlefield Earth (2000)	Freddy Got Fingered (2001)Gigli (2003)I Know Who Killed Me (2007)Swept Away (2002)

Other types of awards[]

The Razzie Redeemer Award[]

The Razzie Redeemer Award is presented to a former nominee or winner who has subsequently made a comeback from critical or commercial failure. The award was introduced in 2014. Winners include Ben Affleck, Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, "A Safe Hollywood-Haven", Melissa McCarthy, and Eddie Murphy.

Worst Career Achievement[]

This award has been given five times, to Ronald Reagan in 1981, to Linda Blair in 1983, to Irwin Allen in 1985, to "Bruce the Rubber Shark" from Jaws in 1987, and to director Uwe Boll in 2009 who received this for his achievement as "Germany's answer to Ed Wood".

Governor's Award[]

This is a special award given by Razzie Award Governor John J. B. Wilson to an individual whose achievements are not covered by the Razzies' other categories. It was awarded in 2003 to Travis Payne for "Distinguished Under-Achievement in Choreography" in the film From Justin to Kelly.

Barry L. Bumstead Award[]

This award is given to a critical and financial failure that would've been nominated if it had received an eligible release. It was awarded in 2015 to United Passions, to Misconduct in 2016, in 2017 to CHiPs and in 2018 to Billionaire Boys Club.

Ceremonies[]

1980: 1st Golden Raspberry Awards
1981: 2nd Golden Raspberry Awards
1982: 3rd Golden Raspberry Awards
1983: 4th Golden Raspberry Awards
1984: 5th Golden Raspberry Awards
1985: 6th Golden Raspberry Awards
1986: 7th Golden Raspberry Awards
1987: 8th Golden Raspberry Awards
1988: 9th Golden Raspberry Awards
1989: 10th Golden Raspberry Awards
1990: 11th Golden Raspberry Awards
1991: 12th Golden Raspberry Awards
1992: 13th Golden Raspberry Awards
1993: 14th Golden Raspberry Awards
1994: 15th Golden Raspberry Awards
1995: 16th Golden Raspberry Awards
1996: 17th Golden Raspberry Awards
1997: 18th Golden Raspberry Awards
1998: 19th Golden Raspberry Awards
1999: 20th Golden Raspberry Awards
2000: 21st Golden Raspberry Awards
2001: 22nd Golden Raspberry Awards
2002: 23rd Golden Raspberry Awards
2003: 24th Golden Raspberry Awards
2004: 25th Golden Raspberry Awards
2005: 26th Golden Raspberry Awards
2006: 27th Golden Raspberry Awards
2007: 28th Golden Raspberry Awards
2008: 29th Golden Raspberry Awards
2009: 30th Golden Raspberry Awards
2010: 31st Golden Raspberry Awards
2011: 32nd Golden Raspberry Awards
2012: 33rd Golden Raspberry Awards
2013: 34th Golden Raspberry Awards
2014: 35th Golden Raspberry Awards
2015: 36th Golden Raspberry Awards
2016: 37th Golden Raspberry Awards
2017: 38th Golden Raspberry Awards
2018: 39th Golden Raspberry Awards
2019: 40th Golden Raspberry Awards
2020: 41st Golden Raspberry Awards

Criticism[]

The Razzies have received criticism, including from news sources such as Indiewire and The Daily Telegraph, for several issues, including that members of the Golden Raspberry Foundation are not required to watch the nominated films,it follows different set of ruleswhich is different from the invitation-only Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Critics take issue with the Razzies picking "easy targets" and critically panned mainstream films instead of those perceived as less popular but more deserving productions, continuing to appeal to celebrities, seemingly for publicity and attention, over other, worthier films and performances. Others have accused the Razzies of promoting racism and sexism when it comes to some of their frequent targets.

Sam Adams of Indiewire has said the Razzies are "like hecklers hurling insults at comedians or a concertgoer yelling out 'Whoo!' during a quiet song, they're not-so-secretly crying out to be noticed. The Razzies, properly enough, avoid pouncing on the little guy; they don't trash no-budget indies no one has seen for having bad lighting or terrible sound". Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph has said "the Razzies' ongoing failure to train its sights on anything but the most obvious targets means it grows more tired and redundant by the year". CraveOnline's William Bibbiani stated that the Razzies follow "a cheap shot of pranksterism", and "with only a handful of exceptions, only seen fit to nominate the most infamous movies of the year, and not necessarily the worst."