Golden Globes vs. Michael Jackson: why is the billion-dollar film at risk of exclusion from the musical category?

It had already become clear last April that the Michael Jackson biopic was moving at record-breaking pace, when cinemas around the world were swept up in a monster box office haul that topped a billion dollars. But now that awards season is in full swing, it's no longer just the box office numbers making headlines, but a bureaucratic dispute with an ironic aftertaste that has broken out in the corridors of the Golden Globes.

At the heart of the dispute is the decision by the production, led by Lionsgate, to enter the film in the category reserved for "Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy" for the 2027 ceremony. A strategic choice, but one rejected by the awards committee, which has asked the distributor to redirect the submission toward the "Drama" category. The news, first reported by Gold Derby and confirmed by the American press, has put the spotlight on the criteria Hollywood uses to define its own genres.

The crux of the controversy concerns the very definition of "musical." According to Golden Globes rules, a film can only qualify for this category when the songs directly contribute to the development of the plot, on a par with dialogue. In "Michael" — which traces the artist's rise from his early days in the Jackson 5 through to the "Bad" era, with his nephew Jaafar Jackson in the lead role — the performances are central but remain tied to the reconstruction of the singer's career. For the jury, then, however essential, the musical sequences don't meet the narrative requirement needed to qualify the film as a true musical.

This decision is, in any case, not an isolated one. In the past, hugely successful films devoted to music icons, such as "Bohemian Rhapsody" about Freddie Mercury and "Elvis" by Baz Luhrmann, have had to compete in the drama categories, despite having music as the main driving force of their stories.

Lionsgate's push to have the film compete among the musicals conceals clear strategic calculations. Reclassification into the drama category makes the race for nominations considerably tougher, both for best picture and for best actor, where young Jaafar Jackson would find himself up against the leads of the season's most anticipated titles, such as "The Odyssey" by Christopher Nolan.

The matter, however, is not yet settled: Lionsgate has until October 31st to file a formal appeal and request a new review from the committee. The official nominations for the 84th Golden Globes will be announced on December 7, 2026, while the awards ceremony will be held on January 10, 2027.

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