Golden Globes Clarify Eligibility Rules, Add Anthology Series To The Mix For Television Awards
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After earlier altering eligibility rules for motion pictures to reflect the ongoing impact of the voronavirus pandemic, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has revealed its annual exhaustive list of eligibility rules and regulations in all its movie and TV categories.
There has been very little change — other than the previously announced allowance for streaming and VOD movies to compete without a seven-day theatrical requirement, until further notice — except that the organization has recognized the increasing presence of anthology TV series and has added them to the titles of limited series and TV movies in both program and lead acting categories. It now is known as Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, and the name change also applies to Lead Actor and Actress in those categories as long as that performer was in at least 50% of the anthology series.
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HBO Max’s Love Life, which premieres today, would be an example — an ongoing anthology series in which the lead actor changes from season to season. Thus, current star Anna Kendrick would be eligible, but a lead actor who appears in just one episode of an anthology series (i.e. Black Mirror) would not be. That is the one major change announced today.
The rest of the rules contain just minor tweaks. Now the bigger questions are, will there be a Golden Globes come January, and what would it look like? Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are set to return as hosts, but NBC hasn’t announced a date for the telecast.
Here is the entire list:
Motion Pictures
Eligibility:
1. Feature-length motion pictures (70 minutes or longer) that have been both released and
screened for the Active and Lifetime membership in the greater Los Angeles area during the
qualifying year (January 1 through December 31). Motion pictures screened in a prior year
must be rescreened in the year of the motion picture’s release.
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 (not subscription cable or
digital delivery) in the greater Los Angeles area for a minimum seven-day period beginning
prior to midnight, December 31 of the qualifying year.
3. A motion picture must be eligible for and entered for consideration for one of the Best
Motion Picture award categories for the performances, direction, screenplay, song and
score from that motion picture to be eligible for those individual awards.
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:
a. A comedy or a drama in which songs are used in addition to spoken dialogue to further
the plot.
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2. Drama and Comedy:
a. 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. Documentaries:
a. Documentaries are not eligible for any of the motion picture award categories, including
the Best Motion Picture categories, and the acting, directing, screenplay, song and score
categories.
4. Original Song:
a. Words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the motion
picture. Qualifying songs from a motion picture must be submitted. If more than three
original songs from a motion picture qualify for award consideration, at least three of
those songs have to be submitted; additional qualifying songs from the motion picture
may be submitted at the discretion of the submitter.
b. The Best Original Song Award is given to the accredited songwriter(s) for the winning
song.
c. Qualifying songs written specifically for the motion picture may be released separately
(e.g. as part of the movie soundtrack) prior to the release of the motion picture.
d. Qualifying songs will be considered as part of the motion picture or as part of a
soundtrack recording but may not be performed live solely for HFPA members.
5. Original Score:
a. 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.
b. 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.
6. Acting Awards:
a. Voice only performances and other roles in which the actor’s face is not visible are not
eligible in any acting category.
b. Cameo appearances in which a person plays him- or herself are not eligible in any acting
category. However, actors who play partially fictional characters and appear in a
significant portion of a motion picture are eligible.
c. Lead cast members in a motion picture must be the central characters who appear in a
substantial portion of the motion picture and who drive the narrative of the motion
picture.
d. Supporting cast members in a motion picture must appear in a minimum of 5% of the
motion picture’s total program time.
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7. Directing:
a. The director(s) of an eligible motion picture entered for awards consideration shall be
the individual(s) who have exercised all traditional theatrical feature film directorial
functions in connection with original photography and have received an on-screen
“Directed By” credit.
8. Best Motion Picture Awards:
a. 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.
b. The Best Motion Picture Award for the Foreign Language category is given to the
accredited director(s) of the motion picture.
c. The Best Motion Picture Award for the Animated category is given to the accredited
director(s) and the individual producer(s) accredited by the Producers Guild of America
for that motion picture.
d. The production entities accredited for the Best Motion Picture in each category receive
a Golden Globe statute for display purposes only.
9. Screenplay:
a. 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.
10. Anthology Motion Pictures:
a. Anthology motion pictures in which multiple separate and distinct stories are told in
separate segments are eligible for the appropriate Best Motion Picture award if the
segments all are based on a common subject or theme and are released and screened
for uninterrupted viewing as a single feature-length motion picture.
b. Directors, screenwriters, composers and lead actors/actresses associated with
anthology motion pictures are eligible for the applicable Best Director, Best Screenplay,
Best Score and Best Actor/Actress awards only if those individuals contributed to
segments that comprise at least 50% of the running time of the motion picture.
11. Animated Motion Pictures:
a. 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.
b. Motion pictures with less than 75% animation of the motion picture’s main characters
do not qualify as animated motion pictures.
c. Animated motion pictures are not eligible for the Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best
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Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy or Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language awards.
d. Animated motion pictures qualify for the Best Picture – Animated award regardless of
their language.
e. Animated foreign language motion pictures are subject to the release, eligibility and
screening requirements set forth below for other foreign language motion pictures.
f. If fewer than twelve animated motion pictures qualify in a year, the category will be
limited to three nominations that year.
12. Foreign Language Motion Pictures:
a. Must be a motion picture drama or musical or comedy with more than 50% non-English
dialogue. 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.
b. Motion picture dramas, musicals or comedies with 50% or more English dialogue are
eligible for the Best Motion Picture – Drama or Best Motion Picture – Musical or
Comedy awards.
c. For purposes of determining whether a motion picture is more than 50% English or non-
English, dialects, pidgins and other local usages of English shall be considered English.
The use of subtitles to make such dialects, pidgins and local usages of English
understandable to a broad range of English speakers does not affect the classification of
such dialogue as English. The decision of HFPA’s reminders list committee on the
relative proportion of English and non-English language in a motion picture shall be
final.
d. Motion pictures should be entered in the language(s) in which they were originally
filmed or dubbed into English (in which case they will be eligible only for the English—
language best motion picture awards). Non-English language dubbed versions of
motion pictures originally filmed in English may not be entered for the Best Motion
Picture – Foreign Language award.
e. Animated motion pictures are not eligible for the Best Motion Picture — Foreign
Language award. However, animated foreign language motion pictures are subject to
the release, eligibility and screening requirements set forth below for other foreign
language motion pictures.
f. Must be first released in their country of origin during the 15-month period from
October 1 to December 31 prior to the awards.
g. 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, provided that each country of origin must have a role in the
production of the motion picture (filming location, setting, residence of key personnel
such as producers, actors, directors, etc.) in addition to providing financing for the
motion picture.
h. May be submitted for Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language award (and other award)
consideration only once.
i. Foreign-language motion pictures that originate outside the United States need not
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have been released in the United States.
j. A foreign-language motion picture also qualifies for the Best Motion Picture – Foreign
Language award if censorship prevented it from being released in its country of origin,
provided that it had a one-week release in another country during the qualifying period
and that it meets the other criteria for eligibility.
k. There is no limit to the number of foreign language motion pictures that can be
submitted from a specific country.
l. 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 Englishlanguage
motion pictures, and Best Motion Picture – Animated.
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 for English-language motion pictures 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:
a. Foreign language motion pictures must be screened for all Active and Lifetime HFPA
members. Foreign language motion pictures should not be submitted for Golden Globe
consideration until an official screening date for HFPA members has been approved by
the HFPA. Foreign language motion pictures screened for HFPA members after
November 1 each year need not be (and may not request that they be) the only event at
that time on the HFPA members’ calendar.
b. Representatives of foreign language motion pictures are also strongly advised to make
those motion pictures available to all Active and Lifetime HFPA members in a common
format.
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c. 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.
d. Foreign language motion pictures and any foreign language animated motion pictures
must be screened and made available in their original language with English subtitles.
e. 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.
f. A list of screening rooms used regularly for foreign language motion picture screenings
can be found here: https://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) in the United States
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 should be entered in either the motion picture or the television award
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 coproduction
(both financially and creatively) between a United States and a foreign partner,
which precedes the start of production for the episodes aired during the qualifying calendar
year, and which includes a written and binding commitment to show the program on United
States television made prior to the start of production.
5. The eligibility of television programs does not depend on the language(s) used in the
program. Non-English-language programs released in the United States are eligible if they
meet the other qualifying criteria.
6. Animated television programs may be entered in the appropriate category (Best Series –
Drama, Best Series – Musical or Comedy, etc.) if they meet the other qualifying criteria for
that category.
7. Reality and other entirely or primarily non-scripted programming is not eligible for any
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television award category. Programming with occasional non-scripted segments that meets
the other criteria for a television award category is eligible for that television award
category if the scripted segments predominate.
8. Variety shows or other programs composed of musical acts, sketches and other talent
performances are not eligible in any category.
9. Documentaries are not eligible for any of the television award categories, including the
series, limited series or motion picture made for television and the acting categories.
10. A television program must be eligible for and entered for consideration for one of the Best
Television award categories for the performances from that television program to be
eligible for those individual awards.
Categories:
? Best Television Series – Drama
? Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
? Best Television Limited Series, Anthology 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, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture
Made for Television
? Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture
Made for Television
? Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role on Television
? Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role on Television
Category Definitions:
1. Television Series:
a. A recurring series with a total running time of at least 150 program minutes aired during
the qualifying year.
b. 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.
c. 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:
a. Two or more episodes with a total running time of at least 150 program minutes aired
during the qualifying year.
b. Must tell a complete, non-recurring story
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c. 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.
d. A limited series that is later renewed for an additional season shall be classified as a
series or again as a limited series in that later season depending on the degree of
continuity in theme, storyline, main characters and production supervision from the
original limited series to the later year of the series.
3. Anthology Series
a. An anthology series is a series of separate and distinct stories based on a common
subject or theme. Anthology series do not tell a complete, non-recurring story.
b. Anthology series must consist of two or more episodes with a total running time of at
least 150 program minutes aired during the qualifying year.
c. Anthology series are eligible as Limited Series.
d. Lead actors associated with an anthology series are eligible for the applicable Best
Actor/Actress awards only if those individuals contributed to segments that comprise at
least 50% of the running time of the anthology series. All other actors are eligible for
the Best Supporting Actor/Actress awards if they meet the other requirements of these
rules (e.g. 5% of total program time for the limited series).
4. Motion Picture Made for Television:
a. A single program with a total running time of at least 70 program minutes
b. Must tell a complete story.
5. Acting Awards:
a. Lead cast members in a television series, limited series or motion picture made for
television must be the central characters who appear in a substantial portion of the
television program and who drive the narrative of the program.
b. 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 for all of the
episodes first aired during the qualifying year.
c. All eligible lead and supporting cast members must be submitted for award
consideration for each submitted television program.
d. Voice only performances are not eligible in any acting category.
e. Cameo appearances in which a person plays him- or herself are not eligible in any acting
category. However, actors who play partially fictional characters and appear in a
significant portion of a television series, limited series or motion picture made for
television are eligible.
f. Actors in ensemble casts with comparable roles should be classified as all lead or all
supporting actors.
6. Best Television Awards:
a. The Best Television Awards for the Television Series – Musical or Comedy, Television
Series – Drama, Television Limited Series, Anthology Series and Motion Picture Made for
Television categories are given to the individual producers accredited by the Producers
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Guild of America for those television programs.
b. 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 format to all Active and Lifetime HFPA
members, preferably at the time of their initial 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 Active or Lifetime HFPA member may make a written proposal for a
special award, which will be subject to approval by the full HFPA Active and Lifetime
membership by written ballot.
Award Procedures:
Registration:
? An entry form must be completed and returned to the HFPA as early as possible. To be
listed on the official HFPA Reminders List all entry forms must be fully completed and
submitted no later than the date given in the official Golden Globe Awards Timetable.
The online entry form also allows the studio or publicist making the entry to upload the
motion picture, television program, score and songs for individual viewing and listening
by HFPA members; submitters are encouraged to use that function to make their
submitted works easily available to HFPA members but uploading submitted works is
not required. HFPA reserves the right to reject any entry form that contains significant
factual errors or that contains inaccuracies which appear to have been intended to
mislead HFPA members about the eligibility of the motion picture or television program.
? 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
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determines the award categories for which it is entered (e.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 members of HFPA’s reminders list committee initially review the
draft reminders list for entry errors and omissions and to spot potential misclassification
issues. HFPA’s reminders list committee members will attempt to correct such entry
errors and omissions but cannot be responsible for correcting all entry errors and
omissions made by the individual initially entering the motion picture or television
program for award consideration. Those committee members may contact the studio
or publicist submitting a motion picture or television program to discuss those issues
and to resolve them informally. The studio or publicist submitting the motion picture or
television program also may be asked to submit materials in support of any
classifications that the reminders list committee member believes should be submitted
to the full HFPA Active and Lifetime membership for discussion. If the committee
believes that a motion picture or television program may have been misclassified as
either a drama or a comedy, the committee will ask the director(s) of the motion picture
or television program to submit a letter justifying the initial classification as drama or
comedy for submission to the full Active and Lifetime membership and for other
appropriate use. Issues that cannot be resolved informally are then presented, along
with the revised draft reminders list and any materials submitted in support of specific
classifications, to the full HFPA Active and Lifetime membership.
? The HFPA Active and Lifetime membership then meets to discuss those issues and to
review all entries in the draft reminders list. The HFPA Active and Lifetime membership,
voting by written ballot, may change any award entry by a vote of two-thirds or more of
the Active and Lifetime 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. Any
decision to change an award entry made at that HFPA membership meeting may be
appealed by the submitter within three days to the HFPA Board, which shall consult with
the reminders list committee on the appeal and may either determine the appeal or
may submit it to the members who attended and/or voted at the membership meeting
for determination.
? 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 Active and Lifetime members shall make such determinations by
written ballot by a majority of Active and Lifetime 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.
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Voting:
? Only Active and Lifetime 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:
1) 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.
2) 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 that allowed under
HFPA’s current Gift Rules (Rules for Screeners and Promotional Materials for HFPA
Members).
3) 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 (i.e., as an
actor, director, writer or producer) during the year under consideration.
4) 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.
5) 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.
6) He or she has complied with all rules and regulations of the HFPA.
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7) 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.
8) 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:
a) 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.
b) 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.
c) Rig or attempt to rig in whole or in part a contest or award show.
9) 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 1st choice (worth 5 points), 2nd 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 votes 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
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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 or official events on the MPAA calendar
available to comparable members of the media at which nominees are present but may
not solicit other 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.
Golden Globe Statuette:
? The Golden Globe statuette is the property of, and all rights therein are reserved by, the
Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
? Receipt of a replica of the Golden Globe statuette entitles the recipient only to
possession of that replica and does not entitle the recipient to any rights in the
copyright, trademark or service mark rights in the statuette. The Golden
Globe statuette may not be reproduced or used in any commercial manner unless
specifically authorized by the Association.
? Each replica of the Golden Globe statuette may be possessed solely by the recipient of
that replica and the recipient’s heirs or successors in interest.
? If the recipient of a Golden Globe statuette, the recipient’s heirs or successors in
interest or any other person who has obtained possession of that Golden Globe?
statuette proposes to sell or otherwise dispose of the Golden Globe statuette to
someone who is not an heir or successor in interest of the recipient, such persons shall
be obligated to return the statuette to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which
will retain the same in its archives in memory of the recipient.
Advertising:
? Advertising of Golden Globe nominations and awards for motion pictures and television
programs may use Golden Globe logos and trophy images 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 (e.g.
Page 14
Golden Globe Awards Eligibility Descriptions (2020 revisions approved 3-19-20).docx 3/21/20
“Musical or Comedy” must be included in type at least 33% the size of “Best Picture.”).
? The size of Golden Globe logos and trophy images approved by HFPA may be adjusted
to fit advertising formats, but the logos and trophy images should not otherwise be
manipulated, cropped or colored without the approval of HFPA. All Golden Globe logos
and trophy images must bear appropriate copyright and trademark registration notices
indicating that they are the intellectual property of HFPA.
? 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, Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture
Best Actress – Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture
Best Actor – Limited Series, Anthology 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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