Golden Globes have rejected Lionsgate's bid to campaign Michael in musical/comedy race.
The Michael Jackson biopic can either fight the snub or compete in the more competitive drama category.
Lead actor Jaafar Jackson too faces a difficult time if the film goes the drama route.
Golden Globes Block Michael Biopic From Musical/Comedy Race
The Michael Jackson biopic, starring Jaafar Jackson, wiill now be pitched in the best motion picture drama category
Summary
In a major blow to Lionsgate, the Golden Globes’ governing panel has snubbed the studio's request to enter its blockbuster biopic, Michael, under the Musical or Comedy banner for the 2027 awards. The Globes committe felt that the film didn’t meet the rule specifying that “a musical can be a comedy or a drama in which songs are used in addition to spoken dialogue to further the plot.”
This means the film, starring Jaafar Jackson as the King of Pop, is currently pitched for the drama categories where it would compete for one of the six available slots against heavyweights like Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Los Javis’ La Bola Negra and more. Lionsgate has until October 31 to appeal the ruling and force a re-evaluation by the Globes' awards committee.
Michael Faces Bigger Hurdle At Golden Globes
This categorization could endanger Jaafar Jackson’s stab at a lead actor nod in his debut performance. Unlike the Oscars, the Golden Globes split lead acting honors into Drama and Musical/Comedy—with the former regarded as the far tougher battleground. Supporting categories remain unified across genres, leaving unscathed co-stars Colman Domingo and Nia Long, who play the music legend’s parents, from any impediment.
Determining where musical biopics fit has often been troublesome in the Globes’ side. Early hits like Ray (2004) and Walk the Line (2005) were slotted into Musical or Comedy, with the latter nabbing the top prize. Since then, the HFPA has predominantly steered similar films toward Drama, as seen with winners and nominees like Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), Elvis (2022), and James Mangold’s Bob Dylan feature A Complete Unknown (2024). A rare anomaly was the Coen brothers' 2013 folk saga Inside Llewyn Davis, which was granted entry into the Musical/Comedy bracket.
Antoine Fuqua’s film, which released on April 24, ultimately emerged the first biopic in history to surpass $1 billion at the worldwide box office. The film grossed $1.029 billion, $117 million more than the previous record-holder among music biopics, Bohemian Rhapsody. Michael is Lionsgate's biggest success ever.
The 84th Golden Globe nominations will be announced Monday, Dec. 7, and the ceremony, hosted by Nikki Glaser, is set for Sunday, Jan. 10.
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