Razzies 2012: Ceremony Moved to April Fools' Day

One of the most mediated and, at the same time, shameful movie awards gala, The Golden Raspberry Awards or the Razzies, as they're better known, has been moved to a later date. Organizers have settled for April Fools' Day.

Until this year, the ceremony, which boasts of “honoring” the worst the movie industry had to offer in the previous year, was closely linked to the Academy Awards (the Oscars), to the point where it was considered its darker, evil but way funnier sibling.

Now, organizers have decided to break with tradition and make the Razzies a ceremony all on its own, which would no longer need to ride the coattails of the Oscars, The Hollywood Reporter says.

Considering that the Razzies get plenty of coverage in the press now, the decision doesn't really come as a shock.

“What better day of the year to honor the worst films of the year than April Fools' Day? The organizers of the Razzies – the annual spoof on the Oscars which honors the year’s worst films – announced that the show will be pushed to April 1 this year,” THR says.

In a statement to the movie-oriented publication, organizers note that the later date will also allow more feedback from the public, as well as more exposure for the actual ceremony, which will, this way, step out of the shadow of the Oscars.

“In addition to allowing the Razzies’ more than 600 voting members additional time to see the drek they will eventually nominate, this new schedule will also allow for more input from the movie-going public before the contenders are determined,” organizers say.

Another modification operated in the schedule of the Razzies concerns the date the nominations will be announced: in 2012, instead of making the nominees known on the day before the Oscar noms, organizers will announce them on February 25.

For those not up to speed with the awards season, that's exactly one day before the Academy Awards.