10 Surprises in the Hollywood Walk of Fame Rule Book
Written by djfrosty on May 1, 2023
Walk of Fame stars aren’t cheap.
From the website: “Due to rising costs, sponsorship fee will increase to $75,000 for all accepted nominations starting with the class of 2024.”
This represents a jump from $55,000 last year. The sponsorship fee has increased astronomically in the past 36 years.
“When I started in 1987, I think it was about $3,500,” Martinez says. “Then it went up to $5,000. It would go up every few years. The last time we had a big increase, was probably almost 10 years ago – it went from $40,000 to $50,000. Then it was $55,000. Everything is astronomical right now. Everything has gone up since we’ve been back from COVID.”
Some of the costs the sponsorship fee covers include the creation and installation of the star (they are made of terrazzo and brass); the costs associated with the star unveiling ceremony, which is free and open to the public; maintenance of the star in instances of cracking or vandalism (Donald Trump’s star was whacked more than once); and the presentation of a large floral arrangement on the day the honoree dies.
The Hollywood Historic Trust, not the city of Los Angeles, takes care of Walk of Fame repairs and the floral arrangements. “They get a portion of the sponsorship fee,” Martinez says. “The trust was formed to maintain the look of the Walk of Fame and they do other things as well. During COVID, I believe they did a $3 million repair because nobody was on [Hollywood] Blvd. so it was a perfect time to do it.”
When it is suggested that the requirement to commit to sponsor the star would put this out of reach for even most superfans, Martinez replies, “You would be surprised. When Liza Minnelli was selected, she was nominated by fans. They had movie nights at somebody’s house and they would sell baked goods. That’s how they raised the money. For Dean Stockwell, he was very much into the environment. His fans collected newspaper [for recycling; what used to be called paper drives] and got money for that. So, they have their ways. And nowadays, they have GoFundMe and things like that.”
From the website: “The Hollywood Walk of Fame does not encourage or endorse online campaigns for fundraising for a star prior to selection. Such initiatives do not impact the selection process for a star on the Walk of Fame.”
From the website: “The nominator must promise to sponsor the star presentation if it approved. Please submit completed nomination application and a commitment to sponsor the star.”
Martinez amplifies on that point. “We are a non-profit. We cannot pay for it.”
That said, the Walk of Fame brings in quite a bit of money. At the new rate of $75,000 per star presentation, and assuming 27 presentations per year (the midpoint in the 24-30 range Martinez cites), the presentations bring in $2,025,000 per year. At $250 per application, and assuming 200 applications a year, applications bring in an additional $50,000. (Note that applications buy two years of consideration, so that second figure may be more like $25,000 per year.)
If you still want to go through with this, visit the Walk Of Fame Nomination Dashboard.