It was a busy day for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as they unveiled their list of nominations for the best of film and television in 2012.

On the small-screen front, HBO’s political television film Game Change leads the way with five nods, including the coveted Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television accolade.

Central star Julianne Moore will look to repeat her Emmy Award-winning success from September after landing a Best Actress (Mini-Series/TV Movie) nod for her portrayal of presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Additionally, co-stars Woody Harrelson, Ed Harris and Sarah Paulson contest the supporting acting categories for their respective roles as Steve Schmidt, John McCain and Nicolle Wallace.

Showtime’s Homeland is the major contender of the drama categories after landing four nominations, including Best Television Series (Drama) where it competes against FX’s Breaking Bad, ITV’s Downton Abbey, and HBO duo Boardwalk Empire and The Newsroom.

The espionage thriller also scored a hat-trick of acting nods with recent Emmy winners Claire Danes and Damian Lewis competing in the lead categories while co-star Mandy Patinkin is acknowledged for his supporting turn.

In Best Actress (Drama), Danes is up against the likes of Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey) and Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) while Lewis is shortlisted in a tough Best Actor (Drama) line-up that includes Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men).

In the comedy fields, ABC’s Modern Family leads the way with a trio of mentions, including Best Television Series (Comedy or Musical) and supporting actress and actor nods for stars Sofía Vergara and Eric Stonestreet.

However, the family sitcom faces stern competition from the likes of CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, HBO’s Girls and NBC’s Smash in the Best TV Series (Comedy/Musical) category.

Having been appointed as co-hosts for this year’s Golden Globe ceremony, comedian stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler square off in the Best Actress (Comedy/Musical) field for their respective roles in NBC sitcoms 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation. That particular category also features strong nominees like Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Lena Dunham (Girls) and recent Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep).

Meanwhile, former Friends star Matt LeBlanc is in contention for the Best Actor (Comedy/Muscial) gong for his role in Episodes, with his competition including Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) and Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory).

Finally, the other notable programmes looking to challenge in the limited categories include HBO’s television film The Girl, which explores the fractured relationship between legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock and actress Tippi Hedren.

The factual drama is up for Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, while British stars Toby Jones and Sienna Miller receive acting nods for their respective portrayals of Hitchcock and Hedren.

The remaining three programmes fighting it out for the Mini-Series/Television Movie award are History’s Hatfields & McCoys, BBC’s The Hour and USA Network’s Political Animals.

Having landed an Emmy for his role in Hatfields & McCoys, Kevin Costner will be targeting another Best Actor (Mini-Series/TV Movie) win while facing off against British representatives Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Clive Owen (Hemingway & Gellhorn).

Meanwhile, Oscar-winning stars Nicole Kidman (Hemingway & Gellhorn) and Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Asylum) are among the big names fighting it out for the Best Actress (Mini-Series/TV Movie) gong.

The rest of the high-profile acting nominees include Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Connie Britton (Nashville), Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Glenn Close (Damages), Hayden Panettiere (Nashville), Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife), Dame Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey), and Sigourney Weaver (Political Animals).

However, it was a disastrous day for Game of Thrones and Mad Men as both dramas were completely ignored by the Globes, while Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul missed out on a Supporting Actor nod despite winning the Emmy back in September.

On what promises to be a special occasion for the HFPA, the 70th Golden Globe Awards will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on 13 January 2013.

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

BEST TELEVISION SERIES (DRAMA)
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
BREAKING BAD
DOWNTON ABBEY
HOMELAND
THE NEWSROOM

BEST ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES (DRAMA)
Connie Britton, NASHVILLE
Glenn Close, DAMAGES
Claire Danes, HOMELAND
Michelle Dockery, DOWNTON ABBEY
Julianna Margulies, THE GOOD WIFE

BEST ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES (DRAMA)
Steve Buscemi, BOARDWALK EMPIRE
Bryan Cranston, BREAKING BAD
Jeff Daniels, THE NEWSROOM
Jon Hamm, MAD MEN
Damian Lewis, HOMELAND

BEST TELEVISION SERIES (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)
THE BIG BANG THEORY
EPISODES
GIRLS
MODERN FAMILY
SMASH

BEST ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)
Zooey Deschanel, NEW GIRL
Lena Dunham, GIRLS
Tina Fey, 30 ROCK
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, VEEP
Amy Poehler, PARKS AND RECREATION

BEST ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)
Alec Baldwin, 30 ROCK
Don Cheadle, HOUSE OF LIES
Louis C.K., LOUIE
Matt LeBlanc, EPISODES
Jim Parsons, THE BIG BANG THEORY

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
GAME CHANGE
THE GIRL
HATFIELDS & MCCOYS
THE HOUR
POLITICAL ANIMALS

BEST ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Nicole Kidman, HEMINGWAY AND GELLHORN
Jessica Lange, AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM
Sienna Miller, THE GIRL
Julianne Moore, GAME CHANGE
Sigourney Weaver, POLITICAL ANIMALS

BEST ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Kevin Costner, HATFIELDS & MCCOYS
Benedict Cumberbatch, SHERLOCK
Woody Harrelson, GAME CHANGE
Toby Jones, THE GIRL
Clive Owen, HEMINGWAY AND GELLHORN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Hayden Panettiere, NASHVILLE
Archie Panjabi, THE GOOD WIFE
Sarah Paulson, GAME CHANGE
Maggie Smith, DOWNTON ABBEY
Sofía Vergara, MODERN FAMILY

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Max Greenfield, NEW GIRL
Ed Harris, GAME CHANGE
Danny Huston, MAGIC CITY
Mandy Patinkin, HOMELAND
Eric Stonestreet, MODERN FAMILY