Have you heard of the Golden Raspberry Awards?

You've heard of the Oscars, have you heard of the Golden Raspberry Awards?

The Golden Raspberry Awards, also known as Razzies and Razzie Awards, is a parody award show honouring the worst films of the last year. 

The first Golden Raspberry Awards Ceremony was held in March 1981. 

Author - Sophie T 

The ceremony itself is modelled after the Academy Awards but is deliberately low-end and tacky. Let's explore some interesting facts relating to the other big awards celebration in Hollywood.

Who Has Won The Most Razzies?

Sylvester Stallone is the most awarded actor ever. He has picked up 10 Razzies throughout his acting career. One of his most notable awards came in 1985 when was voted Worst Actor for his performances in Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV. 

The iconic Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property award from 1997

In 1997, Con Air (starring Nicolas Cage) won the award for Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property. We all love this film though don't we? It was certainly Nicolas Cage at his very best.

How do people view the Razzies?

Some  movie fans have criticised the Razzies for targeting well-known films that are poorly received, rather than highlighting less popular movies that deserve recognition. They have suggested that these choices seem aimed at attracting celebrity attention and publicity.

One Film and Media Lecturer at a UK based university told us: The idea of celebrating the ‘worst’ in movies might sound like harmless fun at first, but when you really think about it, it’s incredibly reductive. Filmmaking is such a collaborative art form – dozens, sometimes hundreds, of people pour their hearts and souls into a project. Reducing all that effort to a cruel punchline feels disrespectful and dismissive.

"More importantly, it creates this toxic culture where people are encouraged to ridicule instead of trying to understand what might have gone wrong. There are plenty of reasons a film doesn’t work – tight budgets, rushed schedules, studio interference – but the Razzies don't care about context. They just mock the final product without considering the human effort behind it."

Another lecturer gave this interesting perspective: "The Razzies could be a chance to explore why certain films miss the mark, maybe even offer some valuable lessons for filmmakers. But as they are now, they’re just cheap laughs at the expense of people who’ve worked hard, and I don’t see how that’s helpful for anyone who genuinely loves and is passionate cinema as a form of art."