After the important recognition revealed in the past two days by the Critic Choice Awards and SAG, the Golden Globes have completed the hat-trick of major precursors for Oscar season following the announcement of their film nominations earlier today.

As expected, the historical biopic Lincoln received seven nominations by the HFPA (Hollywood Foreign Press Association) including Best Film (Drama), Best Director (Steven Spielberg), Best Actor in a Drama (Daniel Day-Lewis), Best Supporting Actor (Tommy Lee Jones) and Best Supporting Actress (Sally Field).

Following close behind were the political thriller Argo which was nodded for five awards including Best Film (Drama), Best Director (Ben Affleck) and Best Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin) with the western Django Unchained also equally five nods for Best Film (Drama), Best Director (Quentin Tarantino) and double Best Supporting Actor nominations for Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz.

War thriller Zero Dark Thirty and fantasy drama Life of Pi complete the Best Film (Drama) nominees while musical epic Les Miserables and romantic dramedy Silver Linings Playbook square up against The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom and bizarre British nominee Salmon Fishing in the Yemen in Best Film (Comedy/Musical).

In the male acting awards, Day-Lewis battles it out for Best Actor (Drama) with the likes of Joaquin Phoenix (The Master) and Denzil Washington (Flight) while Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings) and Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables) go head-to-head in the Best Actor in Comedy/Musical category alongside Jack Black (Bernie) and Bill Murray (Hyde Park on Hudson).

As for the female contenders, Jessica Chastain (ZD30) is up against the likes of Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone), Naomi Watts (The Impossible) and Rachel Weisz (The Deep Blue Sea) in the Best Actress (Drama) group while Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings) competes with Judi Dench (Marigold Hotel), Maggie Smith (Quartet) and Globes favourite Meryl Streep (Hope Springs) in the Best Actress (Comedy/Musical) short-list.

Stand-out nominees in the Supporting Actor/Actress categories include Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams (The Master), Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables) and Nicole Kidman (The Paperboy). Brave, Frankenweenie, Rise of the Guardians and Wreck-It-Ralph battle it out for Best Animated Film while singers Adele, Jon Bon-Jovi and Taylor Swift are the big names up against each in the Best Original Song cateogry.

Not too many surprises here at the Globes though the shock recognition for Salmon Fishing and its actors Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt was completely unexpected. The major snubs here included Anthony Hopkins (Hitchcock), Keira Knightley (Anna Karenina), Emmanuelle Riva (Amour) and Robert De Niro (Silver Linings).

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

BEST MOTION PICTURE (DRAMA)
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST MOTION PICTURE (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DIRECTOR
Ben Affleck – Argo
Kathryn Bigelow – Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee – Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg – Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino – Django Unchained

BEST ACTOR (DRAMA)
Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln
Richard Gere – Arbitrage
John Hawkes – The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix – The Master
Denzel Washington – Flight

BEST ACTOR (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Jack Black – Bernie
Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman – Les Miserables
Ewan McGregor – Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Bill Murray – Hyde Park on Hudson

BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA)
Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty
Mario Cotillard – Rust and Bone
Helen Mirren – Hitchcock
Naomi Watts – The Impossible
Rachel Weisz – The Deep Blue Sea

BEST ACTRESS (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Emily Blunt – Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Judi Dench – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook
Maggie Smith – Quartet
Meryl Streep – Hope Springs

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alan Arkin – Argo
Leonardo DiCaprio – Django Unchained
Phillip Seymour Hoffman – The Master
Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln
Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams – The Master
Sally Field – Lincoln
Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables
Helen Hunt – The Sessions
Nicole Kidman – The Paperboy

BEST SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal – Zero Dark Thirty
Tony Kushner – Lincoln
David O Russell – Silver Linings Playbook
Quentin Tarantino – Django Unchained
Chris Terrio – Argo

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Anna Karenina
Argo
Cloud Atlas
Life of Pi
Lincoln

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Act of Valor – “For You”
The Hunger Games – “Safe and Sound”
Les Miserables – “Suddenly”
Skyfall – “Skyfall”
Stand Up Guys – “Not Running Anymore”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Brave
Frankenweenie
Hotel Transylvania
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Amour
A Royal Affair
The Untouchables
Rust and Bone
Kon-Tiki

The 70th Golden Globes will be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on January 13th 2013. The glitz and glamour can finally begin….bring it on!