Golden Raspberry Awards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Golden Raspberry Award |
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The Golden Raspberry Award trophy
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| Presented by | Golden Raspberry Award Foundation |
| Country | United States |
| First awarded | March 31, 1981 |
The Golden Raspberry Awards, also known as the Razzies, are a fun, parody award show that honors the worst movies of the year. The show was created by John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, who both studied film at UCLA and worked in the movie industry. The Razzies are like the opposite of the famous Academy Awards.
The name "raspberry" is a funny way of saying you don't like something, like when you're blowing a raspberry. The trophy is a small, plastic raspberry, the size of a golf ball, spray-painted gold. It sits on top of an old film reel. The founders say the award "encourages well-known filmmakers and top-notch performers to own their bad."
The very first Razzies ceremony was held on March 31, 1981, in John J. B. Wilson's living room. They honored what they thought were the worst films of 1980. The actor with the most Razzie wins is Sylvester Stallone, who has won 12 awards.
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History of the Razzies
The idea for the Razzies came from a man named John J. B. Wilson. One night, he paid 99 cents to see two movies back-to-back: Can't Stop the Music and Xanadu. On his drive home, he thought these movies were so bad they should get awards for it.
A year later, Wilson held a party at his house on the same night as the Academy Awards. After the main awards were over, he handed out ballots to his friends to vote for the worst movies of the year. He stood at a cardboard podium and used a foam ball on a broomstick as a microphone. He announced that Can't Stop the Music had won the first-ever Razzie for Worst Picture.
The party was a big hit. A few local newspapers wrote about it, and the event grew bigger every year. Soon, major news channels like CNN were covering the Razzies. Wilson realized that if he held the Razzies the night before the Academy Awards, he would get a lot more attention from the press.
Making Changes
Over the years, the Razzies have made some changes to be more fair. In 2022, they created a special category for actor Bruce Willis. But when his family announced he had a medical condition called aphasia, the Razzies took back the award. They said it was not right to give an award to someone whose acting was affected by a health problem.
They also took back a 1980 nomination for Shelley Duvall in The Shining. They learned that her performance was affected by how the director, Stanley Kubrick, treated her during filming. In 2023, they nominated a 12-year-old actress, but after people complained, they removed her nomination. Now, they have a rule not to nominate anyone under 18.
How the Awards Work
Anyone can become a voting member of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation by paying a fee. There are about 650 members from 19 different countries.
The ceremony is usually held the day before the Academy Awards. This helps the Razzies get more media coverage because reporters from all over the world are in town for the Oscars.
In 2020, the 40th Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the winners were announced online.
Stars Who Accepted Their Razzies
Most people don't show up to accept their Razzie, but some have a good sense of humor about it.
- Director Paul Verhoeven was the first person to attend the ceremony. In 1996, he accepted his award for Worst Director for the movie ...girls.
- Bill Cosby was the first person to ever accept a Razzie, but he did it on a TV talk show.
- Tom Green accepted his awards for Worst Actor and Worst Director.
- Actresses Halle Berry and Sandra Bullock both famously accepted their Worst Actress awards in person.
- Songwriter Alan Menken also accepted his award for Worst Original Song.
Nominated for Best and Worst
Sometimes, a movie or an actor gets nominated for both a Razzie and an Oscar in the same year, usually for different films.
Razzie and Oscar Crossovers
Three people have won both a Razzie and an Oscar in the same weekend:
- Composer Alan Menken in 1993.
- Screenwriter Brian Helgeland in 1997.
- Actress Sandra Bullock in 2010.
Three actors have been nominated for an Oscar and a Razzie for the same role: James Coco, Amy Irving, and Glenn Close.
As of 2024, only one movie has ever won both an Oscar and a Razzie. The 1987 film Wall Street won an Oscar for Best Actor (Michael Douglas) and a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actress (Daryl Hannah).
Award Categories
The Razzies have several regular categories, but they also add special, one-time categories to make fun of movie trends.
Main Awards
- Worst Picture
- Worst Director
- Worst Actor
- Worst Actress
- Worst Supporting Actor
- Worst Supporting Actress
- Worst Screenplay
- Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel
- Worst Screen Combo
- Razzie Redeemer Award (for a past winner who has since made great movies)
Retired Awards
Some awards are no longer given out, such as:
- Worst Original Song
- Worst New Star
- Worst Musical Score
- Worst Visual Effects
Special One-Time Awards
The Razzies sometimes create funny, special awards for a single year. Here are a few examples:
- Worst Written Film Grossing Over $100 Million (1996): Won by Twister.
- Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property (1997): Won by Con Air.
- Most Tiresome Tabloid Targets (2005): Won by Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, and their personal lives.
- Worst Excuse for a Horror Movie (2007): Won by I Know Who Killed Me.
- Worst Eye-Gouging Misuse of 3D (2010): Won by The Last Airbender.
Special Anniversary Awards
At the end of each decade, the Razzies give out special awards for the worst movies and actors of that period.
- Worst Picture of the 1980s: Mommie Dearest (1981)
- Worst Picture of the 1990s: ...girls (1995)
- Worst Picture of the 2000s: Battlefield Earth (2000)
They also named Sylvester Stallone the Worst Actor of the 20th Century and Madonna the Worst Actress of the 20th Century.
See also
In Spanish: Premios Golden Raspberry para niños
- Academy Awards
- List of films considered the worst
- List of people who have accepted Golden Raspberry Awards
