2026's Record-Breaking Hit Officially Rejected From Major Awards Run

2 days ago 12

Nia Long as Katherine Jackson sitting and smiling in Michael

Published Oct 20, 2026, 8:15 PM EDT

Matthew Thomas is a celebrity entertainment and trending news journalist. Passionate about the media. He developed a love for storytelling that he loves to share with others through his writing. Matthew has been able to cover a variety of subjects he is very passionate about, including movies, TV shows, comics, and wrestling.

Experience:

Matthew brings more than a decade of experience writing about pop culture, movies, TV shows, wrestling, comic books, true crime, weather conditions, safety tips, taxes, wildlife, archaeology, music, and trending news. He is also an experienced interviewer with a strong track record of speaking with high-profile talent and subject-matter experts.

He has conducted interviews with major actors, including Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey, Bryan Cranston, Ethan Hawke, Jason Sudeikis, Jon Hamm, Alan Ritchson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rob McElhenney, Danny Trejo, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Joshua Jackson, Damon Wayans, John C. McGinley, and Julia Jones. He has also interviewed several prominent TV personalities, including Howie Mandel, Ted Lasso star Phil Dunster, Happy’s Place star Rex Linn, the cast of Stuart Saves the Universe, and acclaimed series creators Bill Lawrence and Chuck Lorre. As a versatile entertainment journalist, he has also interviewed notable musicians such as Travis Barker and Nick Jonas, as well as sports icons like Olympic gold medalist wrestler Kurt Angle and NBA champion Jayson Tatum.

Additionally, Matthew has interviewed reality show contestants from hit series like Survivor, Big Brother, and The Traitors. To round out his extensive portfolio, he has interviewed subject-matter experts on taxes, public safety, and winter weather conditions.

The hit 2026 biopic Michael has just been rejected for eligibility in several of a major awards show's biggest categories.

Even though the reviews for Michael were mixed, there has still been conjecture about whether the film will receive any major award nominations. Other high-profile music biopics have garnered awards despite facing criticism from some, with Bohemian Rhapsody being a notable example. However, the route the team behind the Michael Jackson film hoped to take to awards success has seemingly been closed.

On October 20, Variety reported that Michael had been rejected for eligibility in key Golden Globes categories. After Lionsgate submitted the biopic for consideration in the Comedy or Musical categories, the Golden Globes committee denied that request. That means that the film will be considered in the drama categories where they exist and the general categories where there are no genre divides.

As Variety noted, Lionsgate has until October 31 to appeal the ruling, in which case the committee will evaluate that motion. The outlet noted that Lionsgate had declined to comment on the news and Variety's sources told them that the studio is unlikely to appeal the decision.

The Golden Globes website outlines the rules that a film must meet to be considered in the Musical or Comedy categories. Check out those rules below:

Motion pictures shall be entered in the category that best matches the overall intent, tone, and content of the motion picture. Therefore, a motion picture that is primarily intended to have a serious or dramatic tone but contains comedic overtones or elements shall be entered as a drama as opposed to a comedy. Likewise, a motion picture that is primarily intended to have a comedic or satirical tone but contains dramatic overtones or elements shall be entered as a comedy as opposed to a drama. A musical can be a comedy or a drama in which songs are used in addition to spoken dialogue to further the plot.

Thanks in large part to how intensely fans all over the world still love Michael Jackson's music, Michael became a record-breaking success that brought in more money than any other biopic ever had. According to Box Office Mojo, it grossed just over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, which is a truly staggering figure. While the film's success was undeniable, it may have been wading into a hotly contested debate if it had been nominated for a Musical or Comedy Golden Globe.

The Musical or Comedy categories have long been a topic of controversy due to some of the titles that have been nominated in them. For example, the fact that Get Out was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy baffled many despite the movie's funny moments.

Whether Michael gets nominated for or wins any major awards in the coming weeks and months, the film has already prevailed where it matters most since it was embraced by moviegoers. In fact, the interest in the film and its subject was so fierce that there has been a lot of speculation about the events from Jackson's life that could be in the sequel.

Michael can be streamed on Starz or accessed through the Starz Amazon Channel.