From the website: “Due to escalating costs, the sponsorship fee will be increased to $75,000 for all accepted nominations beginning in the 2024 class.”
This represents an increase from $55,000 last year. Sponsorship has grown astronomically over the past 36 years.
“When I started in 1987, I think it was like $3,500,” says Martinez. “Then it went up to $5,000. It would increase every few years. The last time we had a big surge was probably almost 10 years ago – it went from $40,000 to $50,000. At the time it was $55,000. Everything is astronomical right now. Everything has gone up since we got back from COVID.”
Costs covered by the sponsorship fee include, but are not limited to, the manufacture and installation of the star (they are made of terrazzo and brass); expenses related to the star’s unveiling ceremony, which is free and open to the public; Servicing the star in the event of cracks or vandalism (Donald Trump’s star has been damaged more than once); and the delivery of a large flower arrangement on the anniversary of the awardee’s death.
The Hollywood Historic Trust, not the City of Los Angeles, is handling the Walk of Fame repairs and floral arrangements. “They get a portion of the sponsorship fee,” says Martinez. “The Trust was formed to preserve the look of the Walk of Fame and it does other things as well. I believe they did a $3 million repair during the COVID-19 crisis because there was no one on (Hollywood) Blvd. So it was the perfect time to do it.”
When it is suggested that the commitment to sponsor the star would put that beyond the reach of even the most superfans, Martinez replies, “You’d be surprised. When Liza Minnelli was chosen, she was nominated by fans. They would host movie nights at someone’s house and sell baked goods. That’s how they raised the money. For Dean Stockwell, the environment was very important to him. His fans collected newspaper (for recycling; it used to be called “paper drives”) and got money for it. So they have their own ways. And nowadays there’s GoFundMe and things like that.”
From the website: “The Hollywood Walk of Fame does not sponsor or endorse online fundraising campaigns for a star prior to selection. Such initiatives do not affect the process of selecting a star on the Walk of Fame.”
From the website: “The nominator must promise to sponsor the star presentation if they agree. Please submit the complete nomination application and a commitment to sponsor the star.”
Martinez underlines this point. “We are a non-profit organization. We can’t pay for it.”
However, the Walk of Fame brings in some money. At the new rate of $75,000 per star presentation and assuming 27 presentations per year (the midpoint in Martinez’s range of 24 to 30), the presentations bring in $2,025,000 per year. At $250 per application and assuming 200 applications per year, the applications will bring in an additional $50,000. (Note that applications require two years of cooling off, so the second number may be closer to $25,000 per year.)
If you still want to do this, visit the Walk Of Fame Nominations Dashboard.