The stars were out in force at last night’s Golden Globe Awards ceremony as the best of film and television were recognised by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Starting in the big-screen categories, the powerful slavery drama 12 Years a Slave survived a major scare by landing the crucial Best Motion Picture (Drama) accolade.

Prior to the main award, the third feature film from Steve McQueen looked certain to walk away empty-handed after losing out in other categories, only to persevere against of the likes of Captain Phillips and Gravity.

Collecting the award, McQueen said he was “a little bit in shock” and thanked his wife for finding the book by Solomon Northup, on which the film was based.

Beforehand, the British filmmaker lost out on the Best Director prize, as Alfonso Cuarón prevailed for his directing on the sci-fi blockbuster Gravity.

In a tight Best Actor (Drama) duel, Matthew McConaughey surprisingly beat Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) to the gong for his performance as AIDS-stricken electrician Ron Woodroof in the factual drama Dallas Buyers Club.

McConaughey said the award was “unexpected, but graciously accepted”.

Co-star Jared Leto also tasted success after winning Best Supporting Actor for his role as trans woman Raymond Rayon.

Meanwhile, Cate Blanchett eased her way to the Best Actress (Drama) gong for her acclaimed performance as fragile socialite Jeanette “Jasmine” Francis in the Woody Allen drama Blue Jasmine.

Coincidentally, Allen was the recipient of this year’s Cecil B. DeMille award for his exceptional career behind the camera with hit films like Annie Hall (1977), Interiors (1978), Manhattan (1979), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Crimes and Misdemeanours (1989), and Midnight in Paris (2011).

However, the veteran filmmaker was absent from the ceremony, as former collaborator and Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton accepted the award on his behalf.

On the humorous side of things, the crime comedy American Hustle fared well with a hat-trick of gongs, including the prestigious Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) accolade against the likes of Nebraska and The Wolf of Wall Street.

The film also claimed double acting gongs for female stars Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence, with the former winning Best Actress (Comedy/Musical) for her turn as con-artist Sydney Prosser.

Lawrence, who won that same category a year earlier for Silver Linings Playbook (2012), took home Best Supporting Actress for her performance as unstable housewife Rosalyn Rosenfeld.

Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio edged out Bruce Dern (Nebraska) to win Best Actor (Comedy/Musical) for his portrayal of criminal stockbroker Jordan Belfort in Martin Scorsese’s wild autobiographical epic The Wolf of Wall Street.

DiCaprio thanked director Scorsese for his mentorship and for “allowing me to stalk you to make this movie”.

There was also success for Spike Jonze, as the creative filmmaker took home Best Screenplay for his work on the sci-fi romance Her.

Unsurprisingly, Disney’s Frozen comfortably clinched Best Animated Film, though its chart-topping single “Let it Go” surprisingly lost the Original Song category to U2 for their rendition of “Ordinary Love” from the factual drama Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

Another upset saw musician Alex Ebert overcome the likes of John Williams and Hans Zimmer to win Best Original Score for his composing on the survival drama All is Lost.

Finally, the Italian drama The Great Beauty bagged the Best Foreign Language Film accolade ahead of the controversial Palme d’Or winning romance Blue is the Warmest Colour.

However, a number of films with multiple nominations came away from the Globes’ ceremony empty-handed, including Captain Phillips, Inside Llewyn Davis, Nebraska and Philomena.

The full list of Globe (film) winners are…

BEST MOTION PICTURE (DRAMA)
12 YEARS A SLAVE

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE (DRAMA)
Cate Blanchett, BLUE JASMINE

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE (DRAMA)
Matthew McConaughey, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

BEST MOTION PICTURE (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)
AMERICAN HUSTLE

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)
Amy Adams, AMERICAN HUSTLE

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)
Leonardo DiCaprio, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Lawrence, AMERICAN HUSTLE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jared Leto, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuarón, GRAVITY

BEST SCREENPLAY
HER (Spike Jonze)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
ALL IS LOST (Alex Ebert)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM (“Ordinary Love”)

BEST ANIMATED FILM
FROZEN

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
THE GREAT BEAUTY (Italy)

---

In the television categories, the final series of AMC’s Breaking Bad finally ended its barren spell with the Globes by winning two awards, including a long-awaited Best Television Series (Drama) triumph ahead of the likes of Downton Abbey and House of Cards.

Additionally, leading man Bryan Cranston deservedly won Best Actor (Drama) for his swansong turn as drug dealer Walter White, with Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) among his biggest rivals.

Cranston called the award “a lovely way to say goodbye” after the series ended after five years in September.

However, Breaking Bad failed to make it a hat-trick of successes after Aaron Paul lost the Best Supporting Actor category to veteran star Jon Voight for the Showtime thriller Ray Donovan.

Elsewhere, Robin Wright tasted victory in the Best Actress (Drama) field after overcoming the likes of Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) and Kerry Washington (Scandal) to win for her performance as lobbyist Clare Underwood in Netflix’s House of Cards.

On the funny side of things, NBC’s Brookyn Nine-Nine surprisingly bagged two key wins, including the prestigious Best Television Series (Comedy or Musical) prize ahead of Girls and Modern Family.

Additionally, leading man Andy Samberg saw off comeback king Michael J. Fox (The Michael J. Fox Show) to clinch Best Actor (Comedy/Musical) for his humorous role as Detective Jake Peralta in the hit police sitcom.

Having returned to co-host this year’s Globe ceremony with fellow comedian star Tina Fey, Amy Poehler was clearly stunned after receiving the Best Actress (Comedy or Musical) prize for playing Leslie Knope in the NBC series Parks and Recreation.

After dominating last summer’s Emmy Awards, the HBO production Behind the Candelabra scored a further two accolades, including Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television ahead of the likes of Top of the Lake and The White Queen.

The factual drama also landed another Best Actor (Mini-Series/TV Movie) accolade for central star Michael Douglas and his acclaimed portrayal of renowned pianist Liberace, with co-star Matt Damon among his fellow category rivals.

Finally, the Best Actress (Mini-Series/TV Movie) award was presented to Elisabeth Moss for her role as New Zealand detective Robin Griffin in Sundance TV’s Top of the Lake while British veteran Jacqueline Bisset took home Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Lady Livinia Cremone in Starz’s Dancing on the Edge.

However, it was an evening to forget for various programmes as The Good Wife, Masters of Sex, Modern Family, Phil Spector and The White Queen failed to bag an award.

 

The full list of Globe (television) winners are…

BEST TELEVISION SERIES (DRAMA)
BREAKING BAD

BEST ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES (DRAMA)
Robin Wright, HOUSE OF CARDS

BEST ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES (DRAMA)
Bryan Cranston, BREAKING BAD

BEST TELEVISION SERIES (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE

BEST ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)
Amy Poehler, PARKS AND RECREATION

BEST ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)
Andy Samberg, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
BEHIND THE CANDELABRA

BEST ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Elisabeth Moss, TOP OF THE LAKE

BEST ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Michael Douglas, BEHIND THE CANDELABRA

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jacqueline Bisset, DANCING ON THE EDGE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jon Voight, RAY DONOVAN