The 42nd Golden Raspberry Awards

The Golden Raspberry Awards – colloquially known as the Razzies – represent one of Hollywood’s quirkiest and most entertaining counterpoints to the glamourous ritual of celebrating artistic achievement in cinema. Rather than applauding the “best” in filmmaking, the Razzies spotlight the “worst,” offering a tongue‑in‑cheek commentary on notable failures in the movie industry. The 42nd iteration of these awards – held on March 26, 2022 – continued that tradition, recognizing the most critically panned films of 2021 with pomp, satire, and a healthy dose of self‑deprecating humor.

Origins and Philosophy of the Razzies

To fully appreciate the significance of the 42nd Golden Raspberry Awards, it helps to understand the origins and intent of the Razzies themselves. Founded in 1981 by cinephile John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, the Razzies began as a playful antithesis to Hollywood’s glitzy awards season climax – the Academy Awards. Wilson once explained that the awards were meant “to be funny,” and that mantra has persisted across four decades of dubious accolades.

Unlike other awards shows that focus on artistic excellence, the Razzies serve as a cultural release valve: a way to highlight cinema’s most misguided projects, overhyped blockbusters that failed to connect, and performances that critics and audiences alike found notably lacking. Rather than solemn glory, recipients receive a gilded raspberry statuette – literally a spray‑painted raspberry ornament representing the bittersweet humor at the heart of the institution.

The 42nd Razzie Awards: Context and Timing

The 42nd Golden Raspberry Awards specifically targeted films released in 2021 — a year marked by ongoing industry upheaval due to the COVID‑19 pandemic, altered theatrical windows, and hybrid releases on streaming platforms. The ceremony itself was held in Los Angeles, California, on the day before the Academy Awards (March 26, 2022), maintaining its long‑standing tradition of juxtaposition with Hollywood’s most revered honors.

In its structure and spirit, the Razzie Awards continue to reflect not just an evaluation of films but also a mirror held up to an industry navigating rapid technological and cultural shifts.

The Dominant “Winner”: Diana: The Musical

The most nominated and most “awarded” production at the 42nd Razzies was “Diana: The Musical”, the filmed adaptation of the Broadway show that imagined the life of Princess Diana in a stage musical format. The production earned nine nominations and won five Razzie statuettes, including Worst Picture — making it the standout “champion” of the evening.

Strikingly, Diana: The Musical didn’t just win the headline Worst Picture prize — it also swept several major categories traditionally reserved for acting and filmmaking:

Worst Actress — Jeanna de Waal
Worst Supporting Actress — Judy Kaye (for portraying two roles simultaneously)
Worst Director — Christopher Ashley
Worst Screenplay — Joe DiPietro (with music and lyrics by DiPietro and David Bryan)

These wins reflected not only the voters’ disapproval of the film’s creative execution but also the cultural backlash against a project perceived as overly earnest but deeply misguided in its treatment of a real‑world figure. Critics and audiences felt that the musical’s dialogue, staging, and emotional framing failed spectacularly when translated to a filmed format, resulting in a caricature rather than a meaningful portrayal.

Other Notable “Winners” and Categories

Outside of Diana, other films and performances also garnered Razzie distinctions — each contributing to the overall tapestry of 2021’s most reviled cinema:

LeBron James – Worst Actor

LeBron James earned the Worst Actor Razzie for his performance in Space Jam: A New Legacy, a much‑anticipated sequel to the beloved 1996 original. Rather than fostering nostalgia, critics panned it for lacking heart and overloading promotional tie‑ins, an issue ironically echoed in its Razzie wins — including Worst Screen Couple for James paired with “Any Warner cartoon character (or Time‑Warner product) he dribbles on.”

Jared Leto – Worst Supporting Actor

Jared Leto “won” Worst Supporting Actor for his role in House of Gucci, despite that same performance being recognized by some awards for its boldness. The Razzie highlighted just how divisive certain artistic choices can be: what some see as transformative, others deem indulgent or unconvincing.

Cosmic Sin – Special Category

In a standout move, the 42nd Razzies introduced a special category — Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie — featuring eight of the actor’s roles from that year. Willis ultimately “won” for his part in Cosmic Sin. This category underscored the Razzie tradition of playful exaggeration while also responding to broader discussions around Willis’s health and performance quality at the time.

Razzie Redeemer Award

Not all attention was negative: Will Smith received the Razzie Redeemer Award for his acclaimed performance in King Richard, marking a rare moment where the Razzies acknowledge a recovery from past missteps. This award adds depth to the ceremony, acknowledging that even artists previously criticized can evolve and succeed.

Beyond Winners: The Cultural Footprint

What makes the Razzies distinct is not merely their catalog of “worst” films but how they interact with audience expectations and industry discourse. The 42nd awards occurred during a year where streaming releases blurred the lines between television and cinema, challenging traditional evaluation frameworks. Films like Diana: The Musical were released directly to streaming platforms, prompting debates over whether such formats belong in awards contexts at all.

In some cases, lousy films become beloved precisely because they are so critically mauled — turning cinematic failures into cult classics. The Razzies help canonize these entries, not with reverence but with celebration of their flaws.

Controversy and Backlash

The Razzies are not without criticism. While some participants take the awards in stride, others argue that labeling performances or films as outright “worst” can be mean‑spirited, especially if factors like health issues or production constraints affected performance quality. For example, subsequent years saw retractions when circumstances around Bruce Willis’s declining abilities became widely known, illustrating how the community tries to adapt its sense of humor with sensitivity.

Similarly, debates have arisen regarding the eligibility of certain works – like whether a filmed theatrical recording should compete against traditionally produced films. These discussions signal that, as with any influential commentary on art, the boundaries and definitions of “bad” art are themselves up for debate.

The Razzies in Retrospect

The 42nd Golden Raspberry Awards, then, were not just an enumeration of cinematic failures. They were a cultural touchstone that captured the quirks, controversies, and conversations of a transitional moment in film history. By highlighting Diana: The Musical, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and others, the Razzies drew attention to artistic risks that misfired, audience expectations gone awry, and the subjective nature of cinematic judgment.