The Golden Globes announced this week that it would be adding two new categories to its list of awards: Cinematic and Box Office Achievement in Motion Pictures and Best Stand-Up Comedian on Television.
The Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award is similar to the Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film award that was introduced — and quickly withdrawn — from the Oscars in 2018, due to complaints from Academy members and the media. Billboard reported that many believed the award “appeared to be a transparent attempt to pander to mainstream audiences in an effort to boost the ratings of the annual telecast.”
“The new Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award is more than just rewarding the year’s top-earning and most viewed motion pictures,” said Tim Gray, Golden Globes Executive Vice President, in a statement. “These films have typically not been recognized among industry awards, but they should be.”
There will be a total of eight nominees for the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award. Eligibility requires motion pictures to have a total gross of at least $150 million, with $100 million of that coming from the U.S. domestic box office.
The Best Stand-up Comedian category “gives standups a dedicated award for an individual performance or as part of a comedy group/ensemble,” the statement said.
“The Golden Globes has a rich history of supporting and celebrating the work of comedians, and we’re thrilled to honor their brilliance alongside outstanding motion picture and television performances of the year,” Golden Globes President Helen Hoehn said in a statement.
The stand-up comedy category will have six nominees. In order to be eligible, a performer or performers must have released a traditional stand-up comedy performance that is at least 30 minutes long and first aired in the U.S. by broadcast, basic or premium cable, streaming or pay-per-view cable during the nomination period. The specials must be separate from a television series role and must be released on a recognized media platform that does not include social media accounts, according to the Golden Globe Awards.
“Giving a chance for stand-up comedians to have more of an audience is what we need nowadays,” said Sophie Wells, president of the Shenanigans Comedy Club at UCLA. “I hope that by this category inclusion, it will hopefully gain traction again.”
Junior Josh Morton, a theater major with an emphasis in comedy performance, said the Golden Globes took a good step in introducing comedy to a broader audience, though he wasn’t sure adding the new stand-up category was the best option.
“With all due respect to them, I don’t know if stand-up comedy is the most accessible form of comedy,” he said. “I think that, at times, stand-up can be a bit off-putting if done poorly. I think if you want for me, you know, to encourage people to do comedy, stand-up is not the avenue for that.”
The inaugural winners of the new categories will be revealed live at the 81st Golden Globe Awards scheduled for Jan. 7, 2024.