How 'Avatar 3' bagged Golden Globe nomination before even releasing
What's the story
James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash has bagged a nomination for the 2026 Golden Globes in the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category. The nod was announced on Monday (December 8), days before the film's theatrical release. This category was introduced to recognize films that have garnered massive global audience support and achieved cinematic excellence, including those with significant box office success. So, how did this film earn a nod?
Award details
Understanding the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category
The Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award was introduced in 2023, with Barbie winning the first-ever honor at the 2024 ceremony. The Golden Globes described this category as including "the year's most acclaimed, highest-earning and/or most viewed films that have garnered extensive global audience support and attained cinematic excellence." Other films named in this category this year are F1, KPop Demon Hunters, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Sinners, Weapons, Wicked: For Good, and Zootopia 2.
Eligibility criteria
'Avatar: Fire and Ash' met eligibility criteria
To be eligible for the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award, films must gross at least $150 million, with $100 million from the US box office. They can also qualify through equivalent digital streaming viewership recognized by trusted industry sources. Films released after November 22 may qualify based on projected box office performance or streaming views from recognized industry sources, where Avatar 3 scored its nomination.
Box office success
'Avatar: Fire and Ash' follows in the footsteps of predecessors
The first two Avatar films were massive successes, making the third installment a likely box office hit. The original Avatar (2009) is the highest-grossing movie ever, earning over $2.9 billion globally. Its 2022 sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, also raked in over $2.3 billion worldwide. Given these achievements and the category's rules allowing qualification based on projected box office performance, it's no surprise that Avatar: Fire and Ash received its nomination.
Public reaction
Fans expressed confusion over 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' nomination
After the official 20th Century Studios and Avatar accounts celebrated the nomination on Instagram, many fans were left confused about the film's release date and eligibility. Comments like "How? The movie isn't even out yet," and "Box Office achievement? The Movie isn't out yet. How do we know what the Box Office will be?" flooded in. Fans would be happy to know that nothing is out of the ordinary here. Avatar 3 hits theaters on December 19.