The Golden Globes have made their impact on the Oscar race as awards season begins to pick up steam.

As was the case with the Screen Actor Guild Award nominations yesterday, the dark comedy Birdman leads the way with a mighty seven mentions.

The film, which focuses on a former superhero actor (Michael Keaton) who tries to revive his career on Broadway, was nodded in the Best Picture (Comedy/Musical) category with director Alejando Gonzalez Inarritu receiving a nod for his work behind the camera and for his screenplay.

As was the case yesterday, actors Michael Keaton, Edward Norton and Emma Stone are also recognised along with composer Antonio Sanchez.

In the Drama category, the indie-drama Boyhood and the British war flick The Imitation Game share five nominations each with the Best Film (Drama) line-up completed by three biopics; Foxcatcher, Selma and The Theory of Everything.

Boyhood’s mentions include acting nods for Ethan Hawke (Best Supporting Actor) and Patricia Arquette (Best Supporting Actress) while Imitation Game’s tally sees stars British duo Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley in contention too.

Cumberbatch’s portrayal of tragic mathematician Alan Turing is in a strong Best Actor (Drama) category which includes dark performances from Steve Carell (Foxcatcher) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler). Fellow Brits David Oyelowo (Selma) and Eddie Redmayne (Theory of Everything) are also shortlisted for their roles as real-life figures Martin Luthur King and Stephen Hawking.

Julianne Moore is a double nominee in both leading Actress categories for the family drama Still Alice and the Hollywood satire Maps to the Stars. The first in Drama sees her compete with Jennifer Aniston (Cake), Reese Witherspoon (Wild) and British actresses Felicity Jones (Theory of Everything) and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl).

 

The Comedy/Musical categories see Birdman facing strong competition in the Best Picture group from The Grand Budapest Hotel, fantasy musical Into the Woods, British biopic Pride and family comedy St Vincent.

Michael Keaton will be battling it out for the Best Actor award with Ralph Fiennes (Grand Budapest), Bill Murray (St Vincent), Joaquin Phoenix (Inherent Vice) and Christoph Waltz (Big Eyes).

In contrast, British duo Emily Blunt (Into the Woods) and Dame Helen Mirren (The One Hundred Foot Journey) are competing with Amy Adams (Big Eyes), Julianne Moore and youngster Quvenzhane Wallis (Annie), a shock nominee.

The Supporting Actors nominees see Ethan Hawke and Edward Norton up against category favourite J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), Robert Duvall (The Judge) and Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher) while Patricia Arquette, Keira Knightley and Emma Stone fight it out with Jessica Chastain (A Most Violent Year) and the legendary Meryl Streep (Into the Woods) for the Best Supporting Actress gong.

The Best Director category sees Alejando Gonzalez Inarritu up against Wes Anderson (Grand Budapest Hotel), Ava DuVernay (Selma), David Fincher (Gone Girl) and Richard Linkater (Boyhood).

Finally, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and The LEGO Movie go head-to-head in Best Animated Film along with Big Hero 6, The Book of Life and The Boxtrolls.

Yet again, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association produced more shock snubs this year with Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper and Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken both getting shut out while Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic Interstellar managed just one nomination for its composer Hans Zimmer.

The 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards will be hosted for the third and final time by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on January 11th 2015.

The full list of nominees are below (with my predictions in blue):

BEST MOTION PICTURE (DRAMA)
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything

BEST MOTION PICTURE (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Into the Woods
Pride
St Vincent

BEST DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ava DuVernay – Selma
David Fincher – Gone Girl
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood

BEST ACTOR (DRAMA)
Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
David Oyelowo – Selma
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

BEST ACTOR (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Bill Murray – St Vincent
Joaquin Phoenix – Inherent Vice
Christoph Waltz – Big Eyes

BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA)
Jennifer Aniston – Cake
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon – Wild

BEST ACTRESS (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Amy Adams – Big Eyes
Emily Blunt – Into the Woods
Helen Mirren – The Hundred-Foot Journey
Julianne Moore – Maps to the Stars
Quvenzhané – Wallis, Annie

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Duvall – The Judge
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
J.K Simmons – Whiplash

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Emma Stone – Birdman
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods

BEST SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl)
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo (Birdman)
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
Graham Moore (The Imitation Game)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Alexandre Desplat – The Imitation Game
Jóhann Jóhannsson – The Theory of Everything
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross – Gone Girl
Antonio Sanchez – Birdman
Hans Zimmer – Interstellar

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Annie – “Opportunity”
Big Eyes – “Big Eyes”
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part I – “Yellow Flicker Beat”
Noah – “Mercy Is”
Selma – “Glory”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Big Hero 6
The Book of Life
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The LEGO Movie

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Force Majeure (Sweden)
Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem (Israel)
Ida (Poland)
Leviathan (Russia)
Tangerines (Estonia)