Award Submission Cost, Price Revealed

There’s no such thing as a free lunch—or a free award.

Before the 2026 Golden Globes handed out the trophies at the Nikki Glaser-hosted ceremony on Jan. 11, contenders had to submit their names to be considered for nominations in the categories. And like most award shows, it came at quite a cost.

In order to be considered for the prestigious distinction, each person submitted for award consideration needed to pay an entry fee of $250, while each film, TV show, podcast or other production had to pay a $500 fee, according to Golden Globes rules.

Plus, they were required to pay a $5,000 “administration fee” if they wanted to make their work available to view on the official Golden Globes Screening Platform, which includes “one Digital Screening E-Blast Notification via the Golden Globes Screening Platform.” 

The rules state that low-budget productions (of less than $2 million) can contact the Globes to inquire about fee alternatives. 

These requirements indeed applied this year to the nominees for the new category of Best Podcast—which included Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert, Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy, Mel Robbins’ The Mel Robbins Podcast, Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes’ SmartLess and NPR’s Up First, along with winner Amy Poehler’s Good Hang. (Find out more winners here.)