The Golden Raspberry Awards, called the Razzies for short, is an award ceremony in recognition
of the worst in film. Founded by American copywriter and publicist John J. B. Wilson
in 1980, the annual Razzie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles precedes the corresponding
Academy Awards ceremony by one day. The term raspberry in the name is used in its irreverent
sense, as in "blowing a raspberry". The awards themselves are in the form of a "golfball-sized
raspberry" which sits atop a Super 8 mm film reel, the whole of which is spray-painted
gold. The first Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony
was held on March 31, 1981, at John J. B. Wilson's living room alcove in Los Angeles
to honor the worst in film of the 1980 film season. The 34th ceremony was held on March
1, 2014.
History
American copywriter and publicist John J. B. Wilson traditionally held potluck parties
at his house in Los Angeles on the night of the Academy Awards. In 1981, after the 53rd
Academy Awards had completed for the evening, Wilson invited friends to give random award
presentations in his living room. Wilson decided to formalize the event, after watching a double
feature of Can't Stop the Music and Xanadu. He gave them ballots to vote on worst in film.
Wilson stood at a podium made of cardboard in a tacky tuxedo, with a foam ball attached
to a broomstick as a fake microphone, and announced Can't Stop the Music as the first
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture. The impromptu ceremony was a success and the
following week a press release about his event released by Wilson was picked up by a few
local newspapers, including a mention in the Los Angeles Daily News with the headline:
"Take These Envelopes, Please". Approximately three dozen people came to the
1st Golden Raspberry Awards. The 2nd Golden Raspberry Awards had double the attendance
as the first and the 3rd awards ceremony had double this number. By the 4th Golden Raspberry
Awards ceremony, CNN and two major wire services covered the event. Wilson realized that by
scheduling the Golden Raspberry Awards prior to the Academy Awards, the ceremony would
get more press coverage: "We finally figured out you couldn't compete with the Oscars on
Oscar night, but if you went the night before, when the press from all over the world are
here and they are looking for something to do, it could well catch on," he said to BBC
News. The term raspberry is used in its irreverent
sense, as in "blowing a raspberry". Wilson commented to the author of Blame It on the
Dog: "When I registered the term with the Library of Congress in 1980, they asked me,
'Why raspberry? What's the significance of that?' But since then, razz has pretty much
permeated the culture. We couldn't have done it without Hollywood's help." Wilson is referred
to as "Ye Olde Head Razzberry". Format
Paid members of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation vote to determine the recipients;
individuals may become members of the foundation by visiting the organization's website at
www.razzies.com. For the 29th Golden Raspberry Awards in 2009, award results were based on
votes from approximately 650 journalists, cinema fans and professionals from the film
industry. Voters hailed from 45 states in the United States and 19 other countries.
The ceremony, typically held one day before the Academy Awards, is modeled after the latter
but "deliberately low-end and tacky". Collecting in person
Most winners do not attend the ceremony to collect their awards. Notable exceptions include
Tom Green, Halle Berry and Sandra Bullock, Michael Ferris, and Paul Verhoeven.
Categories Current Awards
Worst Actor: 1980 to present Worst Actress: 1980 to present
Worst Supporting Actor: 1980 to present Worst Supporting Actress: 1980 to present
Worst Screen Combo: 1994 to present Worst Screenplay: 1980 to present
Worst Director: 1980 to present Worst Picture: 1980 to present
Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel: 1994 to present, except 1996 and 1999
Retired Worst Original Song: 1980 to 1999, 2002
Worst New Star: 1981 to 1988, 1990 to 1998 Worst Musical Score: 1981 to 1985
Worst Visual Effects: 1986 to 1987 Special categories
Special categories have also been introduced for specific years. Such special awards include:
Anniversary Awards Every decade-closing ceremony includes an
award for the worst actors and movies of the decade - though the 2000 ceremony put the
actors as worst of the 20th century instead. Special prizes for the 25th anniversary of
the Razzies awards were also given out in 2006.
Other types of awards Over the years, the Golden Raspberry Awards
have awarded special awards next to the actual Razzie Awards as well.
Worst Career Achievement Award This award has been given 5 times, to Ronald
Reagan in 1981, to Linda Blair in 1983, to Irwin Allen in 1985, to "Bruce the Rubber
Shark" from Jaws in 1987 and to director Uwe Boll in 2009 who received this for his achievement
as "Germany's answer to Ed Wood." Governor's Award
This is a special award given by Razzie Award Governor John J. B. Wilson to an individual
whose achievements are not covered by the Razzies' other categories. It was awarded
in 2003 to Travis Payne for "Distinguished Under-Achievement in Choreography" in the
film From Justin to Kelly. See also
Academy Award Bad Sex in Fiction Award
Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year for odd book titles
Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest for worst opening lines of novels
Ig Nobel Prizes for questionable scientific achievements
Museum of Bad Art for recognition of the worst in art
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Bad Poetry Contest List of films considered the worst
List of people who have accepted Golden Raspberry Awards
Stella Awards for outrageous lawsuits Stinkers Bad Movie Awards
The Golden Turkey Awards References
External links Golden Raspberry Official Website
Razzie Awards page on the Internet Movie Database Razzie channel on YouTube