Snubs & Surprises in the 2024 Golden Globes Nominations

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour quickly became the top-grossing concert film of all time, so why does its nomination for the Globes’ new cinematic and box-office achievement award come as a surprise? One of their rules seemingly disallowed it – though another rule overrode that first rule. We’ll explain.

The rules state: “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. b. Productions of stage plays, operas, concerts, and other live events recorded on a theatrical stage or other similar venue (i.e., not adapted for production as a motion picture or television program) are considered documentaries of the play, opera, concert, or other live event and are not eligible.”

So how was it deemed eligible?

A Globes spokesperson correctly notes that “Cinematic and Box Office Achievement is separate from the overall motion picture category guidelines as described in the award rules.”

Those rules further state: “Cinematic and Box Office Achievement contenders can also be considered for Best Motion Picture in their respective categories, i.e., Drama, Comedy or Musical, Animated or Non-English Language, if they meet the eligibility requirements for each of those awards.”

The Globes spokesman acknowledges that Swift’s film does not meet the eligibility requirements for other awards, such as best motion picture – musical or comedy. “Those rules specifically prohibit concert films and documentaries as per rule 3a and 3b, Hence, Taylor Swift’s Eras film does qualify for CBOA [cinematic and box office achievement] under our rules but does not qualify for the other best motion picture categories.

Half of this year’s inaugural nominees for cinematic and box-office achievement are nominated in other categories; half are not. Barbie, Oppenheimer, Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse 3 and The Super Mario Bros. Movie are. Swift’s film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, John Wick: Chapter 4 and Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Pt. 1 are not.

We now know that that Swift’s film wasn’t eligible in other categories. These other three simply didn’t garner enough voter support.

The Globes have long been in Swift’s corner. She has received three Globe nominations for best original song – for “Safe & Sound” from The Hunger Games, “Beautiful Ghosts” from Cats and “Carolina” from Where the Crawdads Sing. The fact that they nominated a song from Cats, which was a boxoffice flop, shows that Globe voters are long-time Swifties.