When The Greatest Showman hit theaters in late 2017, the critics basically sharpened their knives. It was a weird time. On one hand, you had reviewers calling it a "hollow spectacle" or criticizing how it glossed over the darker parts of P.T. Barnum's real life. On the other, audiences were going absolutely feral for the soundtrack. People weren't just watching this movie; they were living it.
Naturally, the big question followed: did The Greatest Showman win any awards, or did the critical chill kill its chances at the podium?
If you’re looking for a simple "yes" or "no," the answer is a resounding yes. But it isn't quite that simple. The movie didn’t sweep the Oscars like La La Land did a year prior. Instead, it carved out a very specific, very loud niche in the music and "fan-favorite" categories. It was a slow burn that eventually turned into a trophy-collecting bonfire.
The Big One: Golden Globes and the "This Is Me" Era
If there is one moment that defines the film's success, it’s the 75th Golden Globe Awards. Honestly, the tension was high. The film was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and Hugh Jackman was up for Best Actor.
They didn't win those.
But then came the category for Best Original Song. When "This Is Me" was announced as the winner, it felt like a validation of the entire project. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriting duo who also did Dear Evan Hansen, took the stage and basically confirmed what fans already knew: the music was the heartbeat of the film.
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- Winner: Best Original Song ("This Is Me")
- Nomination: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
- Nomination: Best Actor – Musical or Comedy (Hugh Jackman)
It was a huge win, especially considering the competition. It beat out tracks from Coco and Mudbound. For a minute there, it felt like the movie might actually go the distance at the Academy Awards too.
What Happened at the Oscars?
This is where things get a bit salty for the fans. You’ve probably seen the Reddit threads or the Twitter rants. Did The Greatest Showman win an Oscar? Sadly, no.
It only received one nomination at the 90th Academy Awards, and that was for—you guessed it—Best Original Song.
Despite a powerhouse live performance by Keala Settle that literally brought the house down, the Oscar went to "Remember Me" from Disney’s Coco. It was a heartbreak for the "Showman" faithful. There’s still a lot of debate about whether the film should have been recognized for its insane costume design or hair and makeup. But the Academy is famously picky, and the mixed critical reception of the movie's plot likely weighed it down when it came to the "prestige" categories.
The Grammy Sweep and Soundtrack Dominance
While the film industry was a bit hot and cold, the music industry was head-over-heels in love. This is where the movie truly dominated.
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The soundtrack wasn't just a hit; it was a juggernaut. It spent weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart. Because of that staying power, it cleaned up at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019.
- Winner: Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
- Nomination: Best Song Written for Visual Media ("This Is Me").
Hugh Jackman actually shared in this Grammy win, which is kind of a fun fact to pull out at trivia nights. It’s not every day a Wolverine actor grabs a Grammy for a musical.
Why the Soundtrack Won When the Movie Didn't
Music is subjective, but chart numbers aren't. By the time the Grammys rolled around, The Greatest Showman was a cultural phenomenon. The "Reimagined" album—where stars like Kelly Clarkson and P!nk covered the songs—only added more fuel to the fire. The Recording Academy couldn't ignore the fact that this was the most influential piece of media music in years.
The Awards You Might Have Missed
Beyond the "Big Three" (Oscars, Globes, Grammys), the movie actually picked up a surprising amount of hardware. It turns out that if you ask teenagers or "genre" fans, the movie was a masterpiece.
- Saturn Awards: It won Best Action or Adventure Film. This one is a bit of a head-scratcher because it's a musical, but the Saturns often group "adventure" broadly. It beat out some heavy hitters there.
- Teen Choice Awards: It absolutely cleaned up here. Zendaya won Choice Drama Movie Actress, Zac Efron won Choice Drama Movie Actor, and the movie itself won Choice Drama Movie. They even won Choice Movie Ship for Zac and Zendaya.
- Kids' Choice Awards: Zendaya took home Favorite Movie Actress.
- Billboard Music Awards: In 2019, it won Top Soundtrack, beating out A Star Is Born and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
It’s interesting to see the divide. The "serious" critics and the Oscars were lukewarm. But the organizations that rely on popular vote or fan engagement? They couldn't give the movie enough trophies.
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A Summary of the Trophy Cabinet
| Award Body | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Globes | Best Original Song ("This Is Me") | Won |
| Grammy Awards | Best Compilation Soundtrack | Won |
| Saturn Awards | Best Action or Adventure Film | Won |
| Billboard Music Awards | Top Soundtrack | Won |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Drama Movie | Won |
| Academy Awards | Best Original Song | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice | Best Song | Nominated |
Why Does the Award Count Matter Now?
Looking back, the lack of an Oscar doesn't seem to have hurt the movie’s legacy at all. If anything, the "snub" made the fanbase more loyal.
We see this often in film history. Some movies win Best Picture and everyone forgets them three years later. Others, like The Greatest Showman, miss out on the big gold statues but end up becoming permanent fixtures in pop culture.
The fact that it's being adapted into a stage musical in 2026 is the ultimate "award." It shows that the story—and more importantly, the songs—had a longevity that many Oscar winners lack. The film proved that audience connection is often more durable than a trophy on a shelf.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Researchers
If you're writing about this or just arguing with friends, keep these points in your back pocket:
- Focus on "This Is Me": It is the most decorated part of the film. If you're talking about its "prestige," that song is your primary evidence.
- Differentiate between Film and Music awards: The movie was a "music" success more than a "cinema" success in the eyes of voting bodies.
- Check the Year: Most awards were in 2018, but the Grammy and Billboard wins didn't happen until 2019 due to how eligibility windows work.
- The "Rotten Tomatoes" Gap: Use the disparity between the critic score (57%) and the audience score (86%) to explain why the movie didn't win more "high-brow" awards. It was a movie for the people, not the pundits.
The real "greatest show" turned out to be the film's life after the theater. Even without a Best Picture Oscar, it’s hard to call a movie with a Golden Globe, a Grammy, and a multi-platinum soundtrack anything other than a winner.
To get the full picture of the film's impact, you should look into the Billboard Year-End charts for 2018, which show just how much the soundtrack outperformed every other album that year.