Golden Globes Announce 2017 Awards Date and New Rules

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The 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards are officially set for Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017. There is no host currently set.

While the new or updated rules might not seem that new, it’s clear they are meant to underline an attempt to subvert some of the more controversial decisions the HFPA has made. Most recently, the kerfuffle over The Martian being placed in the Comedy or Musical category last year. The HFPA has been accused of pandering to studio requests and the group’s own need for star appearances on their show (The Tourist being placed in Comedy a few years ago to get stars Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie to show up was the most egregious) have tarnished the reputation of the organization.

The HFPA is also making a concerted effort to draw a line in the awards campaign strategy, stating “During the period from the announcement of the nominations until the final Golden Globe ballots are submitted, HFPA members should not be invited to and must not attend events (including parties, receptions, lunches and dinners and similar events) at which Golden Globe nominees are present. HFPA members may continue to attend screenings and press conferences available to comparable members of the media at which nominees are present, but may not solicit individual press opportunities with nominees during this period.” Like the category placement, this is an effort to remove influence and bias that once plagued the Golden Globes (the Sharon Stone watch incident comes to mind).

Changes in the Foreign Language Film, which now requires a film to be at least 51% non-English are now in place as is a new eligibility period – Oct. 1, 2015 to Dec. 31, 2016. This marks a full month of extra eligibility time and coincides with the Academy’s deadline for Foreign Language Films. The HFPA, however, still allows nominations outside of a given country’s submitted film.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and Dick Clark Productions (DCP) will produce the NBC telecast, airing live coast to coast from 5-8 p.m. PT/8-11 p.m. ET from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Here are the new rules:

Motion Pictures

Eligibility:

1. Feature-length motion pictures (70 minutes or longer) that have been both released and screened for the active membership in the greater Los Angeles area during the qualifying year (January 1 through December 31).
2. Motion pictures are considered released when they are made available for exhibition in theatres or on pay-per-view cable or pay-per-view digital delivery in the greater Los Angeles area for a minimum seven-day period beginning prior to midnight, December 31 of the qualifying year.

Categories:

• Best Motion Picture – Drama
• Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
• Best Motion Picture — Animated
• Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
• Best Director – Motion Picture
• Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
• Best Original Score – Motion Picture
• Best Original Song – Motion Picture

Category definitions:

1. Musical:
   1. A comedy or a drama in which songs are used in addition to spoken dialogue to further the plot.

2. Drama and Comedy:
   1. Motion pictures shall be entered in the category that best matches the overall tone and content of the motion picture. Thus, for example, dramas with comedic overtones should be entered as dramas.

3. Original Song:
   1. Words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the motion picture. All qualifying songs from a motion picture must be submitted.
   2. The Best Original Song Award is given to the accredited songwriter(s) for the winning song.
   3. Qualifying songs written specifically for the motion picture may be released separately (g. as part of the movie soundtrack) prior to the release of the motion picture.

4. Original Score:
   1. An original score is a substantial body of music that serves as dramatic underscoring for the motion picture.  A majority of the score must be original music written specifically for the motion picture and should not be diluted by the use of pre-existing music. The work must be recorded for use in the motion picture prior to any other usage.  Only the principal composer(s) responsible for the conception and execution of the work as a whole shall be eligible for an award. The composers who receive principal credit for the score in the motion picture will be eligible for the Best Original Score Award.

5. Acting Awards:
   1. Voice only performances are not eligible in any acting category.
   2. Cameo appearances in which a person plays him or herself are not eligible in any acting category.

6. Best Motion Picture Awards:
   1. The Best Motion Picture Awards for the Drama and Musical or Comedy categories are given to the individual producers accredited by the Producers Guild of America for those motion pictures.
   2. The Best Motion Picture Award for the Foreign Language category is given to the accredited director of the motion picture.
   3. The Best Motion Picture Award for the Animated category is given to the one or two individuals who played the most significant roles in the creative development of that motion picture (generally the accredited director and one individual with a producer credit), as designated by those responsible for the production of the motion picture.
   4. The production entities accredited for the Best Motion Picture in each category receive a Golden Globe statute for display purposes only.

7. Screenplay:
   1. Writer(s) who have a “screenplay by” or “written by” credit for the motion picture are eligible for the Best Screenplay Award. Writers of source material and writers who contribute to the story but do not receive “screenplay by” or “written by” credit are not eligible.

8. Animated Motion Pictures:
   1. Movement and characters’ performances must be created using a frame-by-frame technique. Each animated image must be created or manipulated by an animator through hand drawing, stop motion, pixilation, animation software or a similar technique. Motion capture by itself (without the manipulation frame-by-frame by an animator) is not an animation technique.
   2. Motion pictures with less than 75% animation of the motion picture’s main characters do not qualify as animated motion pictures.
   3. Animated motion pictures are not eligible for the Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy or Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language awards.
   4. Animated foreign language motion pictures are subject to the release, eligibility and screening requirements set forth below for other foreign language motion pictures.
   5. If fewer than twelve animated motion pictures qualify in a year, the category will be limited to three nominations that year.

9. Foreign Language Motion Pictures:
   1. Must be a motion picture drama, musical or comedy with at least 51% non-English dialogue. Documentaries are not eligible. HFPA may request a continuity script to verify that motion pictures entered as best foreign language motion picture meet the minimum requirement for non-English language dialogue; failure to provide a requested script in a timely manner will result in the entry being rejected.
   2. Must be first released in its country of origin during the 15-month period from October 1 to December 31 prior to the awards.
   3. The country of origin of a foreign language motion picture is the country of the entity credited for the production of the motion picture. Each motion picture may have multiple countries of origin.
   4. May be submitted for Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language award (and other award) consideration only once.
   5. Motion pictures that originate outside the United States need not have been released in the United States.
   6. A motion picture also qualifies if censorship prevented it from being released in its country of origin, but it had a one-week release in the United States during the qualifying period.
   7. There is no limit to the number of foreign language motion pictures that can be submitted from a specific country.
   8. Motion pictures that qualify for the Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language award also qualify for awards in all other motion picture categories except Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, which are exclusively for English-language motion pictures.

Motion Picture Screening Rules:

1. All members qualified to vote for Golden Globe Awards must be invited to an official screening of the eligible motion picture at a third party facility in the greater Los Angeles area. HFPA members can also be invited to other screenings of the motion picture.
2. The selection and renting of a screening room is the responsibility of the producer or distributor of the motion picture.
3. Screenings may take place at any time before release and must be completed by one week after the release of the motion picture in the greater Los Angeles area.
4. The official screening date must be cleared with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to avoid conflicts with other official screenings. Contact Yulia Dashevsky at 818-995-6600. The HFPA office will liaise with the MPAA to clear a suitable date.
5. The deadline for the completion of all official screenings is given in the official Golden Globe Awards Timetable.
6. The official screening need not be exclusively for HFPA members. A regular screening in a theater with the public (if the motion picture is already released), a press screening, or a general screening fulfills the official screening requirement, provided HFPA members are invited.
7. In general, the motion picture’s distributor or publicist sends invitations to the official screening directly to HFPA members. The HFPA office will provide a membership directory for this purpose.
8. Additional screening rules for foreign language motion pictures:
   1. Foreign language motion pictures must be screened for all active HFPA members.
   2. Representatives of foreign language motion pictures are also strongly advised to make those motion pictures available to all active HFPA members in acommon/”>common format.
   3. Foreign language motion pictures should be screened and made available as early in the year as possible to avoid the end of year crush, but in no event later than the date given in the official Golden Globe Awards Timetable. However, foreign language motion pictures do not need to satisfy the one-week from release date standard for official screenings for English language motion pictures.
   4. Foreign language motion pictures and any foreign language animated motion pictures must be screened and made available in their original language with English subtitles.
   5. The HFPA office can also send invitations directly to HFPA members for official screenings of foreign language motion pictures that do not yet have distributors.  Please contact the HFPA office at 310-657-1731.
   6. A list of screening rooms used regularly for foreign language motion picture screenings can be found here: http://www.goldenglobes.com/screening-rooms-0

Television

Eligibility:

1. Television includes motion pictures released by broadcast, basic and premium cable and digital delivery, but does not include pay-per-view cable or pay-per-view digital delivery of motion pictures. Television also includes series and limited series released by broadcast, basic and premium cable and digital delivery and pay-per-view cable or pay-per-view digital delivery. To be eligible for Golden Globe awards, television programs must be released on a recognized media platform (individual social media accounts do not qualify).
2. Only programs first aired (or made available for viewing on demand) during the qualifying calendar year in prime time (8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Sunday) are eligible for television awards. Programs aired live during these times also may qualify if they satisfy other applicable rules.
3. Motion pictures made for television, limited series and television series (drama, musical or comedy) should be entered in either motion picture or television categories (but not both) based on their original release format. Motion pictures released in theatres or on pay-per-view in the United States at the same time as or before they are aired on a television format in the United States are eligible only for motion picture awards. Showing a program at a festival does not disqualify an otherwise eligible television program.
4. Foreign programs are not eligible for television awards unless they are the result of a co-production (both financially and creatively) between a United States and a foreign partner, which precedes the start of production, and which includes a commitment to show the program on United States television made prior to the start of production.
5. Reality and other non-scripted programming is not eligible for any television award category.
6. Variety shows or other programs composed of skits, musical acts, acrobatics, and the like are not eligible in any category.

Categories:

• Best Television Series – Drama
• Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
• Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Category Definitions:

1. Television Series:
   1. A recurring series with a total running time of at least 150 program minutes aired during the qualifying year.
   2. The on-going theme, storyline or main characters must be presented under the same title and have continuity of production supervision within the year and from year to year.
   3. Musical, Comedy and Drama Series – the majority of the running time of at least 150 program minutes aired during the qualifying year must be primarily musical, comedic or dramatic.

2. Limited Series:
   1. Two or more episodes with a total running time of at least 150 program minutes aired during the qualifying year.
   2. Must tell a complete, non-recurring story.
   3. A limited series that is aired over two consecutive years shall be eligible in the year in which more than half of the running time aired.

3. Motion Picture Made for Television:
   1. A single program with a total running time of at least 70 program minutes
   2. Must tell a complete story.

4. Acting Awards:
   1. Lead cast members in a television series, limited series or motion picture made for television must be the central characters who drive the narrative of the program.
   2. Supporting cast members in a television series, limited series or motion picture made for television must appear in a minimum of 5% of total program time.
   3. Voice only performances are not eligible in any acting category.
   4. Cameo appearances in which a person plays him- or herself are not eligible in any acting category.

5. Best Television Awards:
   1. The Best Television Awards for the Television Series – Musical or Comedy, Television Series – Drama, Limited Series and Motion Picture Made for Television categories are given to the individual producers accredited by the Producers Guild of America for those television programs.
   2. The production entities accredited for the Best Television Award in each category receive a Golden Globe statute for display purposes only.

Television Screening Rules:

1. Motion pictures made for television, limited series and television series (drama, musical or comedy) must be made available in any common/”>common format to all active HFPA members, preferably at the time of their broadcast but in no event later than the date given in the official Golden Globe Awards Timetable.

Special Awards
Special awards may be given to an individual, group of individuals or an entity for exceptional contributions to motion pictures and television programs that do not qualify for an existing award category. Any HFPA member may make a written proposal for a special award, which will be subject to approval by the full HFPA membership by written ballot.

Award Procedures

Registration:

• An entry form must be completed and returned to the HFPA as early as possible (no later than ten working days after the official screening date for motion picture categories). To be listed on the official HFPA Reminder List all entry forms must be fully completed and submitted no later than the date given in the official Golden Globe Awards Timetable. Publicists, studios and others responsible for proposing or supporting a motion picture or television program for the Golden Globe awards may not contact any individual HFPA member other than the President of the HFPA and the HFPA member responsible for that awards area (motion pictures, television programs or foreign language motion pictures) on the HFPA reminders list committee to discuss the appropriate classification of any entry during the period between the deadline for completion of Golden Globe award entries and the announcement by HFPA of its final reminders list for those awards each year. Requests to change entries after the date for completion of entries will be honored only to correct inadvertent omissions and clerical errors, and only to the extent feasible.
• The studio or publicist submitting a motion picture or television program initially determines the award categories for which it is entered (g. drama v. musical/comedy or lead v. supporting). When the award entry period is completed, HFPA members review all entries to determine whether the initial entries were made in the appropriate award categories. The HFPA membership, voting by written ballot, may change any award entry by a vote of two-thirds or more of the members voting. Only members who have seen a motion picture or television program will be eligible to vote on appropriate award categories for that motion picture or television program and each member must certify in writing that he or she has seen each motion picture or television program on which they vote.
• A studio or publicist may request a determination from HFPA, not later than August 1st of each year, of the appropriate award categories for a motion picture or television program. The HFPA members shall make such determinations by written ballot by a majority of members voting at the August membership meeting. Only members who have seen a motion picture or television program will be eligible to vote on appropriate award categories for that motion picture or television program and each member must certify in writing that he or she has seen each motion picture or television program on which they vote. If a quorum of the members voting has not yet seen the motion picture or television program in question, the members may defer the decision to the regular reminders list meeting of members.

Voting:

• Only active members vote for the Golden Globe Awards. The voting is monitored by an accounting firm and is done in two phases – Nominations and Final Vote.

Nominations:

• A nomination ballot with a “Reminders List” of qualifying motion pictures and television programs is mailed to all eligible members, requesting that each of them vote for up to five nominees in order of preference in each award category and return the completed ballot directly to the accounting firm.

• Each eligible member shall make the following certifications to the accounting firm:

• He or she was not employed by, nor did he or she serve as an independent contractor or consultant to: a motion picture, radio or television company, film commission, film festival (domestic or foreign), or their agents, in publicity or promotion, production, distribution or marketing, or any other capacity not specifically set forth herein.

• He or she has reported to the President of the HFPA and Ernst & Young LLP all instances where he or she has received gifts or favors from a potential entrant in the Golden Globe Awards competition with a value in excess of $95.

• He or she did not vote for any motion picture or television program in which he or she, or his or her immediate family or close relatives, actively participated (e., as an actor, director, writer or producer) during the year under consideration.

• His or her votes were independently arrived at and were not influenced by any other member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association nor any award nominee, studio, network or production entity.

• He or she is aware that the enclosed ballot will be used as an integral part of the awards procedure of the televised Annual Golden Globe Awards. The votes cast reflect his or her own decisions based on the criteria provided. He or she has not received or been offered any consideration or instructions from any person or persons with respect to the manner in which he or she has cast votes. He or she agrees that Andy Sale of the accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP at (213) 977-3061 or Jeff Hylton of the NBC Program Standards & Practices Department at (818) 777-2618 will be notified immediately if anyone attempts to influence him or her to do anything in violation of the foregoing or which is in any way dishonest.

• He or she has complied with all rules and regulations of the HFPA.

• He or she has reported to the President of the HFPA and Ernst & Young LLP all matters that might be thought to impact his or her ability to be a fair and impartial judge. He or she understands that Ernst & Young LLP will make the final determination as to whether his or her votes will be considered as a result of the reported matters.

• He or she understands that it is a Federal offense under Section 507 and 508 of the Communications Act of 1934, unless disclosed to the station or network prior to broadcast, for anyone to:

1. Give or agree to give any member of the production staff, anyone associated in any manner with the program, or any representative of the station or network any portion of his or her compensation or anything else of value for arranging his or her appearance on the program.

1. Accept or agree to accept anything of value, other than his or her regular compensation for services on the program, to promote any product, service or venture on the air, or use any prepared material containing such a promotion where a participant knows the member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association received consideration for it.

1. Rig or attempt to rig in whole or in part a contest or award show.

• He or she certifies that he or she has not accepted cash whatsoever, nor any valuable consideration other than the lodgings and the token promotional items that are customarily and legally furnished on correspondents’ (foreign and domestic) promotional activities prior to receipt for any ballots.

• The nominees in each category will be the five selections in each category that receive the greatest number of votes on the nomination ballots. In order to break ties, each member should rank their five choices in each category of the nominations ballot, by indicating their 1^st choice (worth 5 points), 2^nd choice (worth 4 points), etc. The accounting firm will use the points assigned in the nomination rankings only in the event of ties. The nominees in each award category will be announced in alphabetical order at the nominations press conference.

Final Vote:

• Once the nominations have been announced, a final ballot, listing the five nominees in each award category in alphabetical order, is mailed to all eligible members, requesting that each of them vote for one nominee in each category and return the completed ballot directly to the accounting firm. In case of a tie in any category, the winner will be the one of the tied nominees on the final ballot that had the most votes on the nomination ballot. In the unlikely event that after considering the nomination ballots there is still a tie in any category, two winners will be announced for that category.

• During the period from the announcement of the nominations until the final Golden Globe ballots are submitted, HFPA members should not be invited to and must not attend events (including parties, receptions, lunches and dinners and similar events) at which Golden Globe award nominees are present. HFPA members may continue to attend screenings and press conferences available to comparable members of the media at which nominees are present, but may not solicit individual press opportunities with nominees during this period.

Results and Announcement:

• The final results are known only by the accounting firm and are kept secret until the announcement at the Golden Globe Awards ceremony.

Advertising:

• Advertising of Golden Globe nominations and awards for motion pictures and television programs may use Golden Globe logos approved by HFPA for those purposes. All nominations and awards shall be identified accurately and completely in such advertising, in a manner that all parts of the award name are easily legible. No part of an award name shall be less than 33% the size of the rest of the award name (g. “Musical of Comedy” must be included in type at least 33% the size of “Best Picture.”)

• Advertisers should clearly identify award nominations as such and should not suggest that nominees are award winners prior to the announcement of the Golden Globe awards.

• Advertisers may use abbreviations of Golden Globe award names that accurately identify the award and do not result in confusion with other awards. For these purposes, the following are among the acceptable abbreviations:

Best Picture — Drama

Best Picture – Musical/Comedy

Best Picture – Animated (or) Best Animated Motion Picture

Best Picture – Foreign Language (or) Best Foreign Language Motion Picture

Best Actress – Motion Picture – Drama

Best Actor – Motion Picture – Drama

Best Actress – Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy

Best Actor – Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy

Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture

Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture

Best Director — Motion Picture

Best Screenplay — Motion Picture

Best Score – Motion Picture

Best Song – Motion Picture

Best Drama Series

Best Musical/Comedy Series

Best Limited Series or Television Motion Picture

Best Actress – Limited Series or Television Motion Picture

Best Actor – Limited Series or Television Motion Picture

Best Television Actress – Drama Series

Best Television Actor – Drama Series

Best Television Actress – Musical/Comedy Series

Best Television Actor – Musical/Comedy Series

Best Supporting Actor – Television

Best Supporting Actress – Television

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.

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