Golden Globe nominations are heating up Awards season

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has spoken and the Golden Globe nominations are in.

By separating the movie categories into Drama and Musical or Comedy, the Golden Globes is able to honor more of the potential Oscar hopefuls and, alternatively, completely disrupt my prediction process.

Due to all of the hype and critics awards, it comes as no surprise that 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle each received seven nominations, more than any other film. Submitting American Hustle as a Comedy was a bold choice for the producers, but one that ultimately paid off for the actors. The crowded Best Lead Actor and Actress in a Drama category may not have made room for Christian Bale or Amy Adams, especially since they were noticeably absent from the Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

The Best Supporting Actor category did not vary much from the SAG nominees. Daniel Brühl was nominated for his portrayal of Formula One racer Niki Lauda and newcomer Barkhad Abdi’s powerhouse performance as a Somali pirate who takes over a US cargo ship in Captain Phillips, triumphed over their early fall release dates and any possibility that the films may have faded from voters’ memories. The only variation from the SAG nominees in this category is the inclusion of Bradley Cooper for American Hustle instead of the late James Gandolfini’s final performance in Enough Said.

Indie favorite Nebraska continues to prove itself by garnering nominations for the film (Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy) and actors Bruce Dern and Jane Squibb. Greta Gerwig also gained a nod as the title character of the acclaimed indie darling, Frances Ha.

A surprise omission was the absence of any nominations for Lee Daniels’ The Butler. While the film garnered mediocre reviews, the SAG nominated the cast, Forrest Whitaker, and Oprah Winfrey. This oversight may be enough to make Academy voters hesitate before casting their votes for the melodrama.

The Golden Globes will be announced on January 12, 2014 and hosted by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.

So, readers, now it’s your turn to weigh in. Tell us who you’d vote for and why! Tweet us

–Ariadne Ansbro

Best Motion Picture — Drama
12 Years a Slave
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Philomena
Rush

Best Motion Picture — Comedy Or Musical
American Hustle
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford, All Is Lost

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
Kate Winslet, Labor Day

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Comedy Or Musical
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
Joaquin Phoenix, Her

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy Or Musical
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Enough Said
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Daniel Brühl, Rush
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska

Best Director — Motion Picture
Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
David O. Russell, American Hustle

Best Foreign Language Film
Blue is the Warmest Color
The Great Beauty
The Hunt
The Past
The Wind Rises

Best Screenplay — Motion Picture
12 Years a Slave, John Ridley
American Hustle, Eric Singer, David O. Russell
Her, Spike Jonze
Nebraska, Bob Nelson
Philomena, Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope

Best Original Song — Motion Picture
“Atlas,” The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
“Let It Go,” Frozen
“Ordinary Love,” Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom
“Please, Mr. Kennedy,” Inside Llewyn Davis
“Sweeter Than Fiction,” One Chance