Fire and Ash’ bag a 2026 Golden Globe before release?

Avatar: Fire and Ashes earned a 2026 Golden Globes nomination before fans even had a chance to purchase a ticket, causing plenty of confusion online.

James Cameron’s blockbuster earned a nod for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement on December 8, 2025, more than a week before the film’s theatrical release. As unusual as it sounds, the nomination falls squarely within the rules of the revamped Golden Globes category.

The Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award, introduced in 2023, was created to recognize the most-viewed, highest-grossing and most talked-about films of the year. Barbie won the first trophy in 2024 after grossing $1.4 billion, followed by Bad in 2025 with more than $758 million worldwide. Even Wicked: For good won a nomination based on the first $440 million.

According to the Golden Globes, “Films are eligible for the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award if they achieve $150 million in total box office receipts, $100 million of which must come from the U.S. domestic box office and/or gain comparable digital streaming viewership recognized by credible industry sources.” Films released after November 22 can also qualify “based on projected box office performance and/or streaming views.”

That’s where Avatar: Fire and Ashes With the first two films grossing a combined $5.2 billion, the third installment is expected to repeat that blockbuster success. Category guidelines allow voters to consider screenings, and with critics praising early screenings, the nomination was no surprise.

Other contenders in the category include; F1, KPop Demon Hunters, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Sinners, Weapons, Wicked: For Good and Zootopia 2.