Golden Globes Rejects 'Michael' Bid for Comedy/Musical Categories

The Golden Globes has denied Lionsgate's request to classify "Michael," its $1 billion Michael Jackson biopic, as a comedy or musical. Variety confirmed the ruling, which means Antoine Fuqua's film will compete in the drama categories instead.

The decision carries real stakes. In the drama field, "Michael" would fight for one of six Best Picture (Drama) slots against Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey," Los Javis' "La Bola Negra" and other heavyweights. The supporting categories don't split by genre, so co-stars Colman Domingo and Nia Long are unaffected.

Lionsgate can appeal before the Oct. 31 submission deadline, and the organization's awards committee would then evaluate the challenge. Sources tell Variety the studio will likely not pursue an appeal. Lionsgate declined to comment.

How the Globes decides what counts as a musical

The mechanism here is a rule with history. Under Globes procedure, a film submitting against the grain needs a letter from its director to proceed — and Fuqua's letter accompanied Lionsgate's submission. The organization reviewed it and denied the request anyway.

The governing rule reads: "A musical can be a comedy or a drama in which songs are used in addition to spoken dialogue to further the plot."

That wording exists because of "Ray" and "Walk the Line," which both won in the comedy or musical categories in the mid-2000s. Those victories prompted a rule change: songs must propel the narrative, not appear as standalone performances. Music alone no longer qualifies a film as a musical.

By that standard, "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Elvis" and "A Complete Unknown" all competed as dramas in subsequent years. One exception stands out: the Coen brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis," a story of a folk singer struggling in 1961, was allowed into the comedy field.

That same distinction appears to have decided "Michael." Jaafar Jackson performs many of his uncle's biggest hits in the film, but the organization evidently viewed those sequences as re-creations of Michael Jackson's concerts rather than storytelling devices driving the plot.

What does this change for the film's awards run?

In practice, it narrows the path. The drama field is the Globes' most crowded, and "Michael" now sits in a race where Variety's predictions tracker lists "The Odyssey" as the frontrunner, alongside "La Bola Negra," "Dune: Part Three," "Artificial" and "Wildwood." Jaafar Jackson remains a predicted nominee for Actor (Drama), where he'd face Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal and Andrew Scott.

The film's commercial credentials are not in question. Released April 24, "Michael" became the first biopic in history to pass $1 billion at the worldwide box office and ranks as Lionsgate's biggest release ever. It also turned Jaafar Jackson — who had never acted professionally — into a star.

The ruling doesn't shift the Globes' broader classifications: the organization accepted both "Obsession" and "Tender Loving Care" as comedies.

The 84th Golden Globe nominations arrive Monday, Dec. 7. Nikki Glaser hosts the ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 10 — dates that give Lionsgate just over a week to decide whether an appeal is worth the fight.