Golden Globes launch awards season (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Golden Globes launch awards season

8:51am Tuesday 15th December 2009 in Entertainment News © Press Association 2011

The award season buzz in Hollywood starts in earnest with the announcement of the nominations for the Golden Globes.

Precious, Up in the Air and Invictus are among the films critics are tipping to feature on the shortlists of the major categories.

One award winner is already known, with director Martin Scorsese having been named as the recipient of the Cecil B DeMille Award for lifelong achievement.

Other film-makers will be listening in hope when the nominees are declared in Los Angeles at 5am local time (1pm GMT).

Earlier this month Up In The Air, starring George Clooney and directed by Juno's Jason Reitman, was named Best Film of the Year by the National Board of Review.

But the Toronto Film Festival People's Choice Award went to Precious, the Oprah Winfrey-backed movie that follows the story of an abused, obese teenager in Harlem.

In 2008, both awards went to Slumdog Millionaire, which went on to be the big winner at both the Golden Globes and the Oscars.

The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards will be presented on January 17 at a star-studded ceremony at the The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

The glitzy event will be hosted by British comedian Ricky Gervais.