GOLDEN GLOBES TO STUDIOS: A NOMINEE IS NOT A WINNER

Theo Kingma, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which hands out the annual Golden Globes Awards, has sent out emails to several studio publicists requesting that they not use the word “winner” in their ads and promotions for nominated movies. Kingma’s emails were apparently touched off by the Franklin Avenue blog, which showed several TV ads by the Weinstein Co. in which the word “winner” was prominently displayed in commercials for August Osage County and Philomena. Kingma made no specific reference to the Weinstein Co.’s ads in his statement, but said, “While earning a nomination is certainly an honor and one to be celebrated, it is not a ‘win’ and using that term or terms similar to it is likely to mislead the public and diminish the excitement around the awards show, when the winners will be revealed.” The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has specific rules barring such ads prior to its Oscar telecast each year, but the HFPA has no such rules.