Golden Globe 2012 nominations

Golden Globe 2012 nominations: Kate Winslet leads ladies with two nods, as Brad Pitt and George Clooney fight for Best Actor

By Nadia Mendoza

Last updated at 7:24 PM on 15th December 2011

It's the prestigious prize for the mantlepiece every starlet dreams of, with Golden Globe recognition paving the way for Oscar glory.

And all eyes will be on Kate Winslet after she scooped a nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for Carnage and Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries for Mildred Pierce.

This will be the eighth time the Titanic beauty, 36, has been nominated, and potentially her third win after she triumphed in 2008 for The Reader and Revolutionary Road.

Chemistry: Sofia Vergara and Gerard Butler giggled away onstage together at the 69th annual Golden Globe Award nominations announcements

But Winslet has stiff competition on her hands, battling the likes of Carnage co-star Jodie Foster, Charlize Theron (Young Adult), Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) and Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn) for the Musical/Comedy prize.

She will also battle Diane Lane of Cinema Verite, Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern and Emily Watson from Appropriate Adult for the Motion Picture/Miniseries title.

Moment of suspense: Sofia Vergara speaks during the 69th annual Golden Globe Award nominations announcements

Golden girl: Sofia was one of the celebrity guests to announce the Golden Globe nominations

Fellow women of the showbiz elite who join Winslet on the list, include Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady and Rooney Mara of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo who are up for Best Actress in a Drama.
Streep and Mara will strive to triumph alongside Glenn Close of Albert Nobbs, Viola Davis from The Help and the fantastic Tilda Swinton for We Need to Talk About Kevin.

Causing Carnage: Kate Winslet has been nominated for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy against co-star Jodie Foster

Flying the flag for the boys is George Clooney, whose two films The Descendants and The Ides Of March, made it onto the Best Motion Picture list.

They face competition from The Help, Hugo, Moneyball and Steven Spielberg production War Horse.

The coveted prize of Best Director will land in the lap of one of the lucky five; Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris, George Clooney for The Ides of March, Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist, Alexander Payne for The Descendants or Martin Scorsese for Hugo.

Holding her own: Sofia may have added the glamour, but Rashida Jones looked cute as a button in thick-rimmed glasses and a blazer

Suited and booted: A hairless Woody Harrrleson and a hairy Gerard read out the nominations

Foppish: Gerard was sporting a full set of curls at the Beverly Hill events in California

The nominations were announced today by Hollywood veteran Woody Harrelson, Modern Family star Sofia Vergara, Scottish hunk Gerard Butler and Rashida Jones at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, California.

Unlikely film The Artist topped the leaderboard, with the French film scooping six nominations.

Yet hot on its tale and tied in second place is sixties tale The Help and Clooney's Hawaiian family story The Descendants; with both films earning five nods including Best Motion Picture Drama.

Water baby: My Week With Marilyn star Michelle Williams received a nod for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy

While Clooney was also nominated for Best Actor in a Drama, The Help earned acting nods for Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain.

Best Actress in a Television Drama Series included nominations for Claire Danes (Homeland), Mireille Enos (The Killing), Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) and Madeleine Stowe (Revenge).

Third time lucky? Kate won a nod for her efforts in Mildred Pierce, but already has two Golden Globes

Following their lead was the category for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or TV movie.

Boardwalk Empire star Kelly Macdonald will battle Jessica Lange from American Horror Story, Maggie Smith of Downton Abbey, Sofia Vergara of Modern Family and Evan Rachel Wood for Mildred Pierce.

Best Actor for a Television Comedy Series category sees Alec Baldwin of 30 Rock take on David Duchovny of Californication, Johnny Galecki of The Big Bang Theory and Matt LeBlanc of Episodes.

Down to business: The quartet shared plenty of jokes during their Golden Globe duties

Their lucky day: Woody and Gerard looked particularly pleased with themselves as they posed with Sofia and Rashida

There doesn't seem to be a clear runner for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical Film, with Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Brendan Gleeson (The Guard), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50), Ryan Gosling (Crazy, Stupid, Love) and Owen Wilson (Midnight in Paris) all in the running.

The Flowers of War, In the Land of Blood of Honey, The Kid With a Bike, A Separation and The Skin I Live In will all compete for Best Foreign Film.

Ricky Gervais will return as the host, despite offending the entirety of the auditorium earlier this year.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced through Twitter last month that the British comedian will reprise his role as presenter for the third time at the ceremony in January 2012.

Hot favourite: George Clooney has been honoured with Best Actor in a Drama and Best Director nods

Making Angie proud: Brad Pitt, seen here with Jonah Hill, has been nominated for his efforts in Moneyball

A previous quip drew gasps when he referred to one film featuring ‘two heterosexual actors pretending to be gay, so the complete opposite of some famous Scientologists then’.

He then added: 'My lawyers helped me with the wording of that joke.'

The 50-year-old also said that Sex And The City 2 should have won the special effects award for ‘the team that airbrushed that poster... 'Girls, we know how old you are.'

Today he revealed he will be eating something light prior to popping on his tuxedo on the night, saying: 'I'll just have something light like beans on toast so I don't throw up all over Robert De Niro.'

Show off! Sofia Vergara poses with a cake on Twitter to celebrate her nomination, with the caption: 'Celebrating with cake at 5am my Golden Globe nomination'

Simple, yet chic: Sofia and Rashida opted to leave the bling at home and light up their outfits with a smile

The 69th annual Golden Globes ceremony will take place on January 15.

Five-time Academy Award and Globe nominee Morgan Freeman, who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Million Dollar Baby and a Best Actor Globe for Driving Miss Daisy, will receive the group's Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Last year, The King's Speech ruled over Hollywood with an impressive seven nominations.

GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS 2012

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE (TV)

Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

BEST ACTRESS, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Jodi Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Kate Winslet, Carnage
BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
The Descendants
Moneyball
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
War Horse
BEST DIRECTOR
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV DRAMA
Claire Danes: Homeland
Mireille Enos: The Killing
Julianna Margulies: The Good Wife
Callie Thorne: Necessary Roughness

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV COMEDY
Laura Dern: Enlightened
Zooey Deschanel: New Girl
Tina Fey: 30 Rock
Laura Linney: The Big C
Amy Poehler: Parks and Recreation

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE PICTURE
The Flowers of War
In the Land of Blood and Honey
The Kid With a Bike
A Separation
The Skin I Live In

BEST SCREENPLAY
Midnight in Paris
The Ides of March
The Descendants
Moneyball
Bridesmaids

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE (TV)
Peter Dinklage: Game of Thrones
Paul Giamatti: Too Big Too Fail
Guy Pearce: Mildred Pierce
Tim Robbins: Cinema Verite
Eric Stonestreet: Modern Family

BEST ACTOR IN A TV COMEDY
Alec Baldwin: 30 Rock
David Duchovny: Californication
Johnny Galecki: The Big Bang Theory
Thomas Jane: Hung
Matt LeBlanc: Episodes

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Artist
W.E.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
War Horse

BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Mildred Pierce
Too Big Too Fail
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
The Hour

BEST TV SERIES OR COMEDY
Enlightened
Episodes
Glee
Modern Family
New Girl

BEST ANIMATED FILM
The Adventures of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE (TV)
William Hurt: Too Big Too Fail
Hugh Bonneville; Downton Abbey
Idris Elba: Luther
Bill Nighy; Page Eight
Dominic West: Appropriate Adult

BEST ACTOR IN A TV DRAMA
Steve Buscemi: Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston: Breaking Bad
Kelsey Grammer: Boss
Jeremy Irons: The Borgias
Damian Lewis: Homeland

BEST TV SERIES, DRAMA
American Horror Story
Boardwalk
Boss
Game of Thrones
Homeland

BEST ACTOR, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Jean Dujardin: The Artist
Brendan Gleeson; The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: 50/50
Ryan Gosling: Crazy, Stupid, Love
Owen Wilson: Midnight in Paris

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Janet Mcteer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
My Week With Marilyn

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin


BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Hello Hello: Gnomeo and Juliet
The Keeper: Machine Gun Preacher
Lay Your Head Down: Albert Nobbs
The Living Proof: The Help
Masterpiece: W.E.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2074528/Golden-Globe-2012-nominations-Kate-Winslet-gets-2-Brad-Pitt-George-Clooney-Best-Actor.html#ixzz1gdZhxZak