As Hollywood’s awards season reaches full swing, all eyes are on the Oscars and Golden Globes celebrating cinematic excellence. But on the other end of the spectrum, the Golden Raspberry Awards—better known as the Razzies—have unveiled their annual list of nominees, putting the spotlight not on brilliance, but on the biggest misfires of 2025.
This year’s Razzie nominations were announced just one day before the Academy released its own shortlist, with the ceremony scheduled for March 14—timed deliberately to precede Oscar night. True to tradition, the trophies remain cheeky and deliberately low-budget, spray-painted gold to match the event’s tongue‑in‑cheek spirit.
Leading the pack in dishonor are Disney’s live‑action remake Snow White and Prime Video’s widely panned War of the Worlds, each earning six nominations. Other contenders for Worst Picture include Netflix’s sci‑fi disappointment The Electric State, The Weeknd’s psychological drama Hurry Up Tomorrow, and Paramount+’s Star Trek: Section 31, a spin‑off that failed to impress fans or critics.
The acting categories are equally star‑studded—though for all the wrong reasons. Worst Actor nods went to Dave Bautista (In the Lost Lands), Ice Cube (War of the Worlds), Scott Eastwood (Alarum), Jared Leto (Tron: Ares), and The Weeknd (Hurry Up Tomorrow). Worst Actress nominees include Ariana DeBose (Love Hurts), Milla Jovovich (In the Lost Lands), Natalie Portman (Fountain of Youth), Rebel Wilson (Bride Hard), and Michelle Yeoh (Star Trek: Section 31).
Supporting roles didn’t escape scrutiny either. Nicolas Cage (Gunslingers), Stephen Dorff (Bride Hard), Greg Kinnear (Off the Grid), Sylvester Stallone (Alarum), and the “All Seven Artificial Dwarfs” from Snow White are all in contention for Worst Supporting Actor. On the Worst Supporting Actress side, nominees include Anna Chlumsky (Bride Hard), Ema Horvath (The Strangers: Chapter 2), Scarlet Rose Stallone (Gunslingers), Kacey Rohl (Star Trek: Section 31), and Isis Valverde (Alarum).
Founded in 1981, the Razzies have spent over four decades lampooning Hollywood’s weakest performances. But the organization—comprising about 650 paying members—hasn’t been without controversy. Critics argue the awards sometimes chase publicity over fairness, pointing to stunts like nominating CGI characters or real-life political figures for “acting” in documentaries. In recent years, backlash over targeting child actors led to a rule change barring nominees under 18.
So, are these films truly the worst of the year? In some cases, yes—War of the Worlds scored a rare 0% on Rotten Tomatoes and was derided for looking like it was filmed entirely over Zoom with green screen backdrops. Yet the Razzies’ selections often lean toward movies that audiences already recognize, rather than obscure indie flops nobody saw. While that makes for a more entertaining list, it also raises the question: are they measuring genuine cinematic failure, or simply capitalizing on easy targets?
Whether you view them as harmless satire or questionable takedowns, the Razzies remain a quirky counterpoint to Hollywood’s glittering award shows. And if nothing else, they prove that in the world of entertainment, not all publicity is good publicity—but it is still publicity.
