2012 Golden Globe Winners

Firing up the 2012 award season are the 69th Golden Globes – all the winners posted below.

What’s come to be known as ‘Awards Season’ is already underway, but the Globes are the first of the big three (followed by the BAFTAs on Feb 12th, Oscars on Feb 26th). Winners are decided by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) – an organisation of about 90 Los Angeles-based writers working for non-US media.

They’re not a good indicator of Oscar glory (in the past 10 years only four films to win either Golden Globe Best Film category have gone on to win the big one), they’re often mocked for being all glitz and no substance, they’re derided for catering to the masses, or they’re or accused of being bought-off – like the curious nomination for Cher-starring Burlesque in 2010 after the film’s studio sent the entire HFPA tickets to a Cher concert.

But we like the Globes that are Golden because they’re more inclined to choose a sexier film: one that hits it off with critics AND audiences, than its big brother Oscar. For example, take past winners of Best Film (Comedy/Musical) – Lost in Translation and The Hangover; for Best Film (Drama) – The Social Network and Avatar. Plus, they’ve got Ricky Gervais as host.

THE WINNERS…

Best Film (Drama): The Descendants

Nominated: War Horse | The Help | Hugo | Moneyball | The Ides of March

Best Film (Comedy/Musical): The Artist

Nominated: 50/50 | Midnight in Paris | Bridesmaids | My Week with Marilyn

Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation (Iran)

Nominated: In the Land of Blood and Honey | The Kid with a Bike | The Skin I Live In | The Flowers of War

Best Animated Feature Film:
Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

Nominated: Rango | Cars 2 | Arthur Christmas | Puss in Boots

Best Actress (Drama): Meryl Streep,
The Iron Lady

Nominated: Viola Davis, The Help | Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin | Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | Glenn Glose, Albert Nobbs

Best Actress (Comedy/Musical):
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Nominated: Charlize Theron, Young Adult | Jodie Foster, Carnage | Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids | Kate Winslet, Carnage

Best Actor (Drama): George Clooney,
The Descendants

Nominated: Michael Fassbender, Shame | Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar | Brad Pitt, Moneyball | Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March

Best Actor (Comedy/Musical):
Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Nominated: Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love | Brendan Gleeson, The Guard | Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris | Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer,
The Help

Nominated: Bérénice Bejo, The Artist | Jessica Chastain, The Help | Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs | Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Nominated: Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn | Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method | Albert Brooks, Drive | Jonah Hill, Moneyball

Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Nominated: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris | George Clooney, The Ides of March | Alexander Payne, The Descendants | Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Best Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Nominated: The Descendants – Jim Rash, Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon | The Ides of March – Grant Heslov, George Clooney, Beau Willimon | The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius | Moneyball – Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian<

Best Original Song: ‘Masterpiece’ by Madonna, James Harry from W.E.

Nominated: The Help – ‘The Living Proof’ | Gnomeo & Juliet – ‘Hello Hello’ | Machine Gun Preacher – ‘The Keeper’ | Albert Nobbs – ‘Lay Your Head Done’

Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource, The Artist

Nominated: W.E. – Abel Korzeniowski | Hugo – Howard Shore | The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor | War Horse – John Williams