Golden Globes Confuses Fans by Nominating Unreleased Avatar Film for Box Office Achievement Award

Many viewers were surprised by the Golden Globes 2026 nomination for Avatar: Fire and Ash in the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category, especially since the movie has not yet been released. Among those expressing shock was Lara Worthington, the wife of star Sam Worthington.The nomination was made public on Monday, December 8. A joint Instagram post from the official Avatar account and 20th Century Studios announced, "Congratulations to the cast and crew of Avatar: Fire and Ash for their Golden Globe nomination for Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement."Sam Worthington's wife commented directly beneath the post, writing, "Box office achievement?? The movie isn’t even out yet !!!"Her comment generated several reactions from other Instagram users. One fan responded to her query by suggesting, "@laraworthington probably pre-sales tickets and tracking." Another individual commented, "@laraworthington it’s just like everything else, trends and investments, that’s how the world works, you should know that by now at this adult age." A third user echoed the sentiment by writing, "@laraworthington pre-sales."Jonathan Bailey and More of the Biggest 2026 Golden Globes SnubsAnother person simply commented, "How?"Users on X were equally confused by the nomination. One person wrote, "In what dimension is this already out? my calendar says I’ve got to wait another two weeks to see it."A second X user questioned, "How the f is a non-released movie nominated for that?" A third person commented, "Avatar getting a box office achievement nomination before getting any box office returns LMAOOOO this category is USELESS LMAO #GoldenGlobes.""I know the Golden Globes’ Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award is nonsense pandering and we’re just meant to acknowledge this and move on, but how can they nominate ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ when it hasn’t made any money yet?" asked a fourth individual.Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to premiere on December 19. However, it meets the criteria for the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category because, according to the official Golden Globes website, "films that are released after November 22 may qualify based on projected box office performance and/or streaming views from recognized industry sources."The Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category was established in late 2023. Barbie won the inaugural award at the 2024 Golden Globes, and Wicked took home the honor at the 2025 ceremony. The competition is strong for 2026, with Avatar: Fire and Ash competing against F1, KPop Demon Hunters, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Sinners, Weapons, Wicked: For Good, and Zootopia 2.The Avatar franchise has historically performed well at the box office. The 2009 film grossed over $2.9 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing movie ever. The 2022 sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, also had remarkable success, earning over $2.3 billion worldwide. The third film is anticipated to achieve similar results when it debuts later this month.Director James Cameron discussed the creation of the film during a Monday appearance on Good Morning America. He explained, “When we have all this stuff coming at us all day long, when we’re scrolling and multitasking, we actually long for a moment of focus and that’s what the theater can give us.”Regarding expectations for the third installment of the franchise, Stephen Lang, who plays Colonel Miles Quaritch, offered a glimpse. He teased, “For longtime fans, it gives you so much of what you expect to see because each of the characters is just deeper, richer.”