Golden Globes: Limited Series Category, Ensemble Cast Designations Get Rules Tweaks
Golden Globes organizers the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has just unveiled a series of rules tweaks ahead of the 2019 awards show. Most are clarifications to the awards submission process, which will be added to the group’s guidelines. Among the changes are clarifications in the Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television category, these coming after this year’s Globes (and 2017 Emmys) winner there, HBO’s Big Little Lies, was renewed for a second season a couple of days before the Globes nominations were announced.
The revised guideline for limited series submissions states that “a television limited series that is later renewed for an additional season shall be classified as a series or again as a limited series in that later season depending on the degree of continuity in theme, storyline, main characters and production supervision from the original limited series to the later year of the series.”
Other changes involving categories include in Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress film races, whereby “cast members in a motion picture must appear in a minimum of 5% of the motion picture’s total program time,” while on the TV side actors in ensemble casts “with comparable roles should be classified as all lead or all supporting actors.”
Among campaign rules tweaks, the HFPA says that “qualifying songs may not be performed live solely for HFPA members,” and it will now provide “procedures for appeals of any decision by the HFPA membership to change an awards entry.”
The news comes as the exclusive negotiations window recently closed between the HFPA and longtime TV home NBC for Golden Globes rights; the two side are still talking, but the HFPA is entertaining other offers for a multiyear deal. The most recent contract for the awards show expired with the 2018 telecast, the 75th edition, which drew a solid 19 million viewers and a 5.0 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic January 7.
Here’s the full list of rules changes revealed today on the HFPA website:
· Qualifying songs may not be performed live solely for HFPA members.
· While cameo appearances are not eligible for acting awards, actors who play partially fictional characters and appear in a significant portion of a motion picture or television program are eligible.
· Supporting cast members in a motion picture must appear in a minimum of 5% of the motion picture’s total program time.
· Non-English language dubbed versions of motion pictures originally filmed in English may not be entered for the Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language award.
· A television limited series that is later renewed for an additional season shall be classified as a series or again as a limited series in that later season depending on the degree of continuity in theme, storyline, main characters and production supervision from the original limited series to the later year of the series.
· Actors in ensemble casts in television programs with comparable roles should be classified as all lead or all supporting actors.
· HFPA encourages (but does not require) the studio or publicist making an awards entry to upload the motion picture, television program, score and songs to the Golden Globe awards entry system for individual viewing and listening by HFPA members.
· HFPA members may ask the submitting studio or publicist to also submit materials in support of any classifications.
· The director of a motion picture or television program that may have been misclassified as either a drama or a comedy may be required to submit a letter justifying the initial classification.
· Provides procedures for appeals of any decision by the HFPA membership to change an awards entry.
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