40th Golden Raspberry Awards
The 40th Golden Raspberry Awards, commonly known as the Razzies, was a satirical ceremony that honored the worst achievements in filmmaking for 2019, with nominations announced on February 8, 2020, and winners revealed via an online video announcement on March 14, 2020, after the in-person event planned for that date was canceled due to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic.[1][2] The musical adaptation Cats dominated the proceedings, earning a leading 8 nominations and sweeping six awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Director for Tom Hooper, Worst Screenplay (written by Lee Hall and Tom Hooper), Worst Supporting Actor for James Corden, Worst Supporting Actress for Rebel Wilson, and Worst Screen Combo for the film's ensemble of half-feline, half-human characters.[2][3] Other major recipients included Rambo: Last Blood, which won Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel and Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and/or Public Property, as well as The Fanatic and Trading Paint star John Travolta for Worst Actor and Hilary Duff for Worst Actress in The Haunting of Sharon Tate.[3] Leading the nominations alongside Cats were Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral (with eight nods) and Rambo: Last Blood (eight), highlighting recurring Razzie targets like Perry's Madea franchise and Sylvester Stallone's action sequel, while additional categories lampooned efforts such as Hellboy, The Hustle, and Zeroville.[1] In a positive counterpoint, the ceremony's Razzie Redeemer Award went to Eddie Murphy for his critically acclaimed performance in Dolemite Is My Name, recognizing career redemption after multiple prior Razzie wins.[3][2]Background and Context
Overview of the Awards
The Golden Raspberry Awards, commonly known as the Razzies, are a satirical annual ceremony established in 1981 to honor the worst films, performances, and technical achievements in cinema, serving as a humorous counterpoint to prestigious awards like the Oscars.[4] Traditionally timed just before the Academy Awards, the event pokes fun at cinematic failures through categories that mock poor directing, acting, screenplays, and visual effects.[5] The 40th Golden Raspberry Awards focused on films released in 2019, with nominations announced on February 8, 2020.[6] Winners were revealed on March 16, 2020, via an online video presentation after the planned live ceremony was altered.[2] This edition spotlighted high-profile commercial and critical flops, particularly the visually controversial musical Cats, alongside pointed criticisms of formulaic remakes and sequels such as Rambo: Last Blood and A Madea Family Funeral.[6] Marking four decades of the Razzies, the 40th ceremony was originally envisioned as an elaborate milestone event featuring parody sketches and celebrity presenters, but external circumstances including the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a scaled-back format.[2]Films Eligible for 2019
The 40th Golden Raspberry Awards considered primarily English-language feature films that received a theatrical release in the United States during 2019, excluding documentaries and foreign-language films lacking U.S. distribution. This criterion ensured focus on mainstream Hollywood output accessible to American audiences, allowing voters to evaluate a broad range of commercial releases without extending to niche or international productions not widely available domestically.[5] The 2019 film landscape provided ample material for Razzie consideration, marked by numerous box office disappointments and critically derided blockbusters. High-profile failures included the musical adaptation Cats, which earned a 19% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $75.5 million worldwide against a $95 million budget,[7] and the reboot Hellboy, panned for its visual effects and storytelling with a 16% Rotten Tomatoes score while underperforming at $55 million globally on a $50 million budget. Direct-to-video and low-budget entries, such as Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral, also drew scrutiny despite modest financial success, criticized for formulaic plots and over-the-top performances. These examples highlighted a year rife with ambitious misfires in genres like fantasy and action.[8][9] Nominations and awards were determined by over 1,000 members of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation, comprising film critics, journalists, and enthusiasts from all 50 U.S. states and more than two dozen countries, who submitted votes via online ballots. This diverse voter base, totaling 1,071 for the 40th ceremony, emphasized subjective judgments on perceived cinematic shortcomings rather than objective metrics.[1][10] Additionally, the year saw an unusually high volume of superhero and remake disappointments, including flops like X-Men: Dark Phoenix and Terminator: Dark Fate, contributing to a crowded field of potential honorees amid industry-wide fatigue with recycled intellectual properties.[11][12]Nomination Process
Announcement and Categories
The nominations for the 40th Golden Raspberry Awards were announced on February 8, 2020, one day before the 92nd Academy Awards, through a press release and official video hosted on the Razzies website (razzies.com).[13][14] This timing aligns with the longstanding tradition of the awards to coincide closely with the Oscars, serving as a satirical counterpoint.[6] The ceremony recognized the worst achievements in film from 2019 across nine core categories: Worst Picture, Worst Actor, Worst Actress, Worst Supporting Actor, Worst Supporting Actress, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, Worst Prequel, Remake, Sequel or Rip-off, and Worst Screen Combo.[15] Nominations were determined by a voting process involving 1,071 members, including film enthusiasts, critics, and journalists from all 50 U.S. states and more than 24 countries, who submitted top picks—typically five per category, though some expanded to six—from open write-in suggestions of eligible 2019 releases.[15][1] This democratic approach allows broad participation, with voters selecting from a pool of suggested contenders provided by the Razzie committee alongside unlimited write-ins.[16] A notable tweak for the 40th edition involved expanding nominee slots in select categories, such as Worst Supporting Actor, Worst Supporting Actress, and Worst Actress, to six options each to accommodate strong write-in support and reflect the volume of perceived underperformers that year.[15] Overall, nominations spanned approximately 35 unique films, underscoring the awards' focus on critiquing a wide array of 2019's theatrical releases.[17]Films with Multiple Nominations
Three films tied for the most nominations at the 40th Golden Raspberry Awards, each receiving eight nods: Cats, A Madea Family Funeral, and Rambo: Last Blood.[17] These films dominated across major categories, reflecting widespread critical disdain for their execution and creative choices. Cats, directed by Tom Hooper, earned nominations for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, Worst Actress (Francesca Hayward), three Worst Supporting Actress slots (Judi Dench, Jennifer Hudson, and Rebel Wilson), and Worst Screen Combo (the entire cast), highlighting flaws in its direction, adaptation of the Broadway musical, and ensemble performances marked by awkward CGI and tonal inconsistencies. (Nomination counts include each individual entry, such that multiple performers from the same film in one category contribute separately to the total.)[18] Similarly, A Madea Family Funeral by Tyler Perry garnered eight nominations, including Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Actress (Tyler Perry as Madea), Worst Supporting Actress (Cassi Davis), Worst Screenplay, Worst Screen Combo (Tyler Perry and Cassi Davis), and two in Worst Prequel, Remix, Sequel or Rip-off, criticized for its exaggerated humor, stereotypical characterizations, and formulaic storytelling typical of the Madea franchise.[17] Rambo: Last Blood, directed by Adrian Grünberg and starring Sylvester Stallone, also received eight nominations such as Worst Picture, Worst Actor, Worst Director, Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel, and Worst Screenplay, faulted for its violent excess, outdated action tropes, and insensitive portrayal of Mexican characters.[1]| Film | Nominations |
|---|---|
| Cats | 8 |
| A Madea Family Funeral | 8 |
| Rambo: Last Blood | 8 |
| Hellboy | 5 |
| The Haunting of Sharon Tate | 4 |
Ceremony Details
Original Plans and Cancellation
The 40th Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony was originally scheduled for March 14, 2020, at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Hollywood, California, marking the first time the event would occur on a Saturday and coinciding with Pi Day.[20] To commemorate the milestone 40th anniversary, organizers planned a lavish live production that would surpass previous iterations in scale, featuring a live audience, an opening parody musical number, comedy sketches, celebrity presenters, a professional stage manager, and broadcast elements intended for wider distribution.[21] The event was also set to include a traditional red carpet arrival and media coverage to highlight the satirical honors for the worst films of 2019.[2] On March 14, 2020—the day of the planned ceremony—the Golden Raspberry Foundation announced the full cancellation due to escalating concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, including restrictions on public gatherings in Los Angeles.[22] This marked the first time in the awards' nearly four-decade history that an in-person ceremony was entirely scrapped, prioritizing participant safety amid the emerging global health crisis.[20] Although producers briefly considered adapting to a virtual format, the decision was made to forgo any live presentation altogether to avoid potential risks.[21]Winners Announcement
Following the cancellation of the planned live ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the winners of the 40th Golden Raspberry Awards were announced on March 16, 2020, through a pre-recorded YouTube video titled "The 40th Razzie Awards: The Lock-Down Edition."[23] The video, produced by the Golden Raspberry Foundation, was narrated by Bill A. Jones, the longtime voice of the Razzies, who delivered the results with satirical flair amid the global lockdown.[2] This digital format replaced the traditional in-person event, incorporating humorous commentary, film clips, and mock acceptance speeches to maintain the awards' irreverent spirit.[3] The winners were determined through the standard Razzie voting process, where the same approximately 1,071 members of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation who cast nomination ballots also voted for the final recipients after the nominations were revealed in February.[20][1] Ballots were tallied following the cancellation announcement on March 14, ensuring continuity despite the shift to a virtual reveal. Key highlights included the film Cats sweeping six awards, such as Worst Picture, underscoring its status as a leading nominee with eight total nominations.[2][18] The video's release drew immediate positive reactions from online audiences, who praised its timely adaptation and comedic tone as a welcome distraction during early pandemic uncertainty, amassing thousands of views shortly after upload.[24] Critics and fans noted the announcement's success in preserving the Razzies' tradition of lampooning Hollywood excess without a physical gathering, though some expressed mild disappointment over the absence of live celebrity roasts.[3]Award Results
Winners by Category
The 40th Golden Raspberry Awards, held virtually on March 16, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, honored the following as winners across its categories, with Cats dominating by securing six awards for its widely panned adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, marked by grotesque CGI fur technology and a disjointed narrative that alienated audiences and critics alike.[25][2] Worst PictureCats, directed by Tom Hooper, took the top dishonor for its failure to translate the abstract stage production into a coherent film, resulting in a 19% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and box office earnings of $74.6 million against a $95 million budget.[25][26][7] Worst Director
Tom Hooper won for directing Cats, criticized for his misguided choices in visualizing the feline characters through uncanny digital effects that prioritized spectacle over storytelling.[25] Worst Actor
John Travolta received the award for his performances in The Fanatic and Trading Paint, where his portrayal of an obsessive stalker and a racing team owner was lambasted for wooden delivery and lack of depth in low-quality productions.[25][27] Worst Actress
Hilary Duff won for her lead role in The Haunting of Sharon Tate, a direct-to-video thriller decried for its exploitative handling of the Manson murders and Duff's unconvincing dramatic turn in a script rife with historical inaccuracies.[25] Worst Supporting Actor
James Corden earned the Razzie for his role as Bustopher Jones in Cats, faulted for over-the-top mugging and grating musical numbers that amplified the film's tonal inconsistencies.[25] Worst Supporting Actress
Rebel Wilson won for her portrayal of Jennyanydots in Cats, singled out for her exaggerated comedic style that clashed with the film's already chaotic ensemble dynamics.[25] Worst Screenplay
The screenplay for Cats, written by Lee Hall and Tom Hooper based on T.S. Eliot's poems and the stage musical, was awarded for its nonsensical plot progression and inability to justify the anthropomorphic cat premise on screen.[25] Worst Screen Combo
Any two half-feline/half-human hairballs featured in Cats won for their mismatched pairing, which exemplified the film's broader issues with awkward chemistry and visual absurdity.[25] Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel
Rambo: Last Blood, directed by Adrian Grunberg, claimed the award for its gratuitous violence and clichéd revival of the 1980s action hero, grossing $91 million worldwide but earning a 36% critic score.[25][28][29] Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and/or Public Property
Sylvester Stallone won this category for Rambo: Last Blood, highlighting the film's excessive, unrealistic depictions of carnage that disregarded plausibility in favor of shock value.[25] In addition to the standard categories, the awards presented the first Razzie Redeemer Award to Eddie Murphy for his critically acclaimed performance in Dolemite Is My Name, recognizing his career resurgence after years of Razzie nominations, with the biopic earning 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.[25][30]