The Razzies 2024: what are the Razzies, has anyone collected one in person and who is up for one this year?

Full disclosure - when we wrote about the “Road to the Oscars 2024” piece, detailing the award ceremonies that act as the yellow-brick road to the event in March, we did omit one award ceremony from our story. One that has become every bit as hallowed as the Oscar itself, but for completely different reasons. I refer to The Golden Raspberry Awards, or the “Razzies” for short - the Oscar’s equivalent of the worst in cinema in the past 12 months. 

Though there have been no official announcements yet, as they generally fall around the same time as the Oscar nominations are released, betting companies have already put forward their favourites to earn nominations for Hollywood’s good-natured wooden spoon. OLBG has listed that Jonah Hill’s performance in “You People” is currently odds on favourite to pick up the Worst Actor award, while Adam Driver in “65” and Ben Affleck in “Hypnotic” fall shortly behind Hill with 4/1 odds each.

Meanwhile, Harmony Korine’s experimental film, “Aggro Dr1ft” starring The Weeknd (who surely must at some stage earn a TV version for “The Idol”) is the overwhelmingly favourite to earn Worst Picture, despite the maverick filmmaker taking the film on the festival circuit in 2023. Interestingly, “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey” is not considered one of the favourites, despite its generally dismal reviews upon its release.

So while we at NationalWorld wait for the nominees to officially be revealed for the 2024 Golden Raspberry Awards, we take a look at the history of the generally well-regarded and above all else less-than-serious ceremony on the road to the 2024 Academy Awards.

What are The Golden Raspberry Awards? 

The Golden Raspberry Awards, often referred to as the Razzies, are a humorous and satirical awards ceremony dedicated to recognizing the worst in film. These awards, in contrast to prestigious ceremonies like the Oscars, highlight cinematic achievements that are considered subpar, both critically and commercially. The Razzies cover various categories, including Worst Picture, Worst Actor, Worst Actress, and Worst Director, among others.

Though they are not callous with their nominations, as evidenced by their withdrawal of Bruce Willis’ wins from the lineage of the awards due to the revelation he suffers from frontotemporal dementia, demonstrating that despite its sardonic elements, the ceremony is all meant to be harmless fun.

When did The Razzies begin?

The Razzies were conceived by publicist John J.B. Wilson in 1980 as a lighthearted response to the more traditional awards season. The inaugural ceremony took place on March 31, 1981, at Wilson's living room in Los Angeles. Over the years, the Razzies have gained attention for their irreverent take on the film industry and their willingness to playfully "celebrate" cinematic missteps.

The first person to "win" a Razzie was Neil Diamond, who received the Razzie for Worst Actor for his performance in the film "The Jazz Singer,” while the film that won the inaugural award for Worst Picture was "Can't Stop the Music” starring Steve Guttenberg and Caitlyn Jenner, known back then as Bruce Jenner.

Has anyone ever attended The Razzies to collect their “award”? 

Indeed they have, for better or in Tom Green’s case, for worse. 

While it is relatively common for actors and filmmakers to embrace the spirit of the Razzies and take the "honours" in good humour, attending the ceremony to collect an award is a rare occurrence. Sandra Bullock made history in 2010 by attending the Razzies the night before the Academy Awards to collect her Worst Actress award for "All About Steve." Bullock even brought DVDs of the film for the audience, turning her Razzie win into a light-hearted and self-deprecating moment. Even Halle Berry, an Oscar winner for “Monster’s Ball,” attended the ceremony to pick up that “piece of s**t” film she earned the Worst Actress Razzie for - Catwoman.

Then there was the case of Tom Green attending the ceremony in 2002 and supplying his red carpet to enter the Abracadabra Theater in Santa Monica and playing a never-ending harmonica piece. His acceptance speech saw him eventually forcefully removed from the stage.

When do the Razzie Awards take place?

The Razzies Awards take place on 9 March 2024, with nominations to be announced on January 22 2024.