Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri in "Avatar: Fire and Ash."

The Golden Globes' box office category this year includes a film that hasn't grossed a single cent at the box office – at least, not yet.

The nominations for the 2026 Golden Globes were unveiled Monday, Dec. 8, and the category of cinematic and box office achievement included the upcoming "Avatar: Fire and Ash." "F1: The Movie," "KPop Demon Hunters," "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning," "Sinners," "Weapons," "Wicked: For Good" and "Zootopia 2" were also nominated for the award.

But many were confused to see the "Avatar" sequel in a category meant to honor movies that were hits at the box office. After all, "Fire and Ash" hasn't even been released yet, so it has no box office to speak of. The sci-fi sequel from James Cameron doesn't open theatrically in the U.S. until Dec. 19.

This is possible because, according to the Golden Globes' rules, films released after Nov. 22 "may qualify" for the box office achievement award based on their "projected box office performance and/or streaming views from recognized industry sources."

"Fire and Ash," then, can be nominated because it is expected to gross enough money to be eligible in the category, even though it hasn't done so yet.

This is a safe assumption based on the performance of both previous "Avatar" installments. The original "Avatar," released 2009, is the highest-grossing film of all time, unadjusted for inflation, with a staggering box office haul of $2.9 billion. The 2022 sequel, "Avatar: The Way of Water," is the third highest-grossing movie ever made, with $2.3 billion.

To be eligible for the cinematic and box office achievement award, a movie only needs to make $150 million at the worldwide box office, including at least $100 million in North America, "and/or obtain commensurate digital streaming viewership." Therefore, "Fire and Ash" could theoretically gross more than $2 billion less than its predecessor and still qualify.

The cinematic and box office achievement Golden Globe award was introduced for the 2024 ceremony as part of an effort to give mainstream blockbuster movies more of a presence in awards season. The first-ever winner was "Barbie," and the original "Wicked" received the award in 2025.

The Golden Globes' rules describe the box office award as recognizing "the year's most acclaimed, highest-earning and/or most viewed films that have garnered extensive global audience support and attained cinematic excellence, as determined by Golden Globes voters."

Notably, while "Avatar: Fire and Ash" was nominated for the box office award, it was snubbed for best film drama, an award the first "Avatar" won in 2010. The sequel, "The Way of Water," was also nominated in that category. Similarly, "Wicked: For Good" surprisingly failed to earn a nomination for best comedy/musical film after the first movie was nominated in that category.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Avatar 3' earns Golden Globes box office nod before it's even released

Reporting by Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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