Beverly Hills: The film "12 Years a Slave" took the coveted Golden Globe for best drama and "American Hustle" won best musical or comedy in a kick-off to the Hollywood awards season that foreshadows a wide scattering of honors for a year crowded with high-quality movies.
"American Hustle," a romp through corruption in the 1970s directed by David O. Russell, was the top winner, taking home three of its seven nominations for the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards, an important but not entirely accurate barometer for the film industry's highest honors, the Academy Awards to be held on March 2.
Director Steve McQueen's brutal depiction of pre-Civil war slavery in "12 Years a Slave," based on a true story of a free black man sold into slavery, only won one award out of its seven nominations and was shut out from the acting honors.
The top drama acting awards went to Cate Blanchett for her turn as a riches-to-rags socialite in Woody Allen's tragicomedy "Blue Jasmine" and Matthew McConaughey for his unlikely AIDS activist in "Dallas Buyers Club," for which he lost 50 pounds (22.7 kg).
"Ron Woodroof's story was an underdog, for years it was an underdog, we couldn't get it made ... I'm so glad it got passed on so many times or it wouldn't have come to me," said McConaughey, widely lauded for a string of strong performances this year.
His co-star Jared Leto took the best supporting actor Globe for his role as Rayon, a transsexual with AIDS.
Amy Adams won best actress in a musical or comedy for her role as the conniving partner to a con-man played by Christian Bale in "American Hustle," while Jennifer Lawrence took best supporting actress for her turn as his loopy wife.
Leonardo DiCaprio won best actor in a musical or comedy for his role as a fast-living, drug-popping, swindling stockbroker in the "The Wolf of Wall Street," his fifth collaboration with director Martin Scorsese.
"As the history of cinema unfolds, you will be regarded as one of the great artists of all time," DiCaprio told Scorsese as he accepted the award.
CUARON WINS BEST DIRECTOR
Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron won best director for his existential space thriller, "Gravity," a film starring Sandra Bullock as an astronaut tumbling through space that has won praise for its groundbreaking technical advances.
Director Spike Jonze took home the Globe for best screenplay for his quirky computer-age comedy "Her," starring Joaquin Phoenix.
The Golden Globes, under the purview of some 90 journalists in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), have outsized clout in the awards race as buzz around these first honors influences members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in their voting for the Oscars.
Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday, but voting has already concluded. The Globes have a mixed record when it comes to predicting the Oscar best picture, though last year's best drama winner, "Argo," did go on to win the Academy Award for best movie.
The show, telecast live on Comcast Corp's NBC, was hosted by comic actors Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and reunited Hollywood's A-listers and its powerbrokers, who all took playful pokes from the duo in their second straight gig at the Globes.
The HFPA honored Woody Allen with the Cecil B. DeMille award recognizing outstanding contribution to the entertainment field. Famously averse to awards shows, the 78-year-old Allen sent one of his favorite actresses, Diane Keaton, to stand in for him.
Final list of Golden Globe winners
- Picture, Drama: "12 Years a Slave."
- Picture, Musical or Comedy: "American Hustle."
- Actor, Drama: Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club."
- Actress, Drama: Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine."
- Director: Alfonso Cuaron, "Gravity."
- Actor, Musical or Comedy: Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Wolf of Wall Street."
- Actress, Musical or Comedy: Amy Adams, "American Hustle."
- Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club."
- Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle."
- Foreign Language: "The Great Beauty."
- Animated Film: "Frozen."
- Screenplay: Spike Jonze, "Her."
- Original Score: Alex Ebert, "All Is Lost."
- Original Song: "Ordinary Love" (music by Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr. and Brian Burton, lyrics by Bono), "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom."
TELEVISION
- Series, Drama: "Breaking Bad."
- Actor, Drama: Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad."
- Actress, Drama: Robin Wright, "House of Cards."
- Series, Musical or Comedy: "Brooklyn Nine-Nine."
- Actress, Musical or Comedy: Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation."
- Actor, Musical or Comedy: Andy Samberg, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine."
- Miniseries or Movie: "Behind the Candelabra."
- Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Elisabeth Moss, "Top of the Lake."
- Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Michael Douglas, "Behind the Candelabra."
- Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jacqueline Bisset, "Dancing on the Edge."
- Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jon Voight, "Ray Donovan."
Previously announced:
Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Woody Allen.
