Golden Globes 2012: Award winners

The annual glitzy Golden Globes award ceremony (now popularly viewed as the initial round of awards system) took place in Los Angeles last night hosted by British comedian Ricky Gervais. Surprises - much like controversy - was in short supply as Michel Hazanavicius' runaway success The Artist (2011) scooped up three Globes for Best Comedy or Musical, Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical (for Jean Dujardin) and Best Score (Kim Novak probably wasn't particularly happy with the last one).

Other cinematic big-hitters included Alexander Payne's superb The Descendants (2011) - which picked up the Best Picture and Best Actor dramatic awards for George Clooney - and Meryl Streep, whose portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in Phyllida Lloyd's The Iron Lady (2011) was deemed worthy for the Best Actress in a Drama.

Best Motion Picture - Drama

The Descendants

Also nominated: The Help; Hugo; The Ides of March; Moneyball; War Horse

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

The Artist

Also nominated: 50/50; Bridesmaids; Midnight in Paris; My Week with Marilyn

Best Actor - Drama
George Clooney, The Descendants
Also nominated: Leonardo DiCaprio, J Edgar; Michael Fassbender, Shame; Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March; Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Actress - Drama
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Also nominated: Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs; Viola Davis, The Help; Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best Actor - Comedy or Musical
 Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Also nominated: Brendan Gleeson, The Guard; Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50; Ryan Gosling, Crazy Stupid Love; Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris 

Best Actress - Comedy or Musical
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Also nominated: Jodie Foster, Carnage; Charlize Theron, Young Adult; Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids; Kate Winslet, Carnage

Best Supporting Actor
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Also nominated: Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn; Albert Brooks, Drive; Jonah Hill, Moneyball; Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method 

Best Supporting Actress
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Also nominated: Berenice Bejo, The Artist; Jessica Chastain, The Help; Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs; Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Director
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Also nominated: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris; George Clooney, The Ides of March; Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist; Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Best Screenplay

Midnight in Paris

Also nominated: The Artist; The Descendants; The Ides of March; Moneyball Best Score The Artist Also nominated: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Hugo; War Horse; W.E.

Best Song
W.E.,'Masterpiece'
Also nominated: Albert Nobbs, 'Lay Your Head Down'; Gnomeo and Juliet, 'Hello Hello'; The Help, 'The Living Proof'; Machine Gun Preacher, 'The Keeper' 

Best Animated Feature

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

Also nominated: Arthur Christmas; Cars 2; Puss in Boots; Rango 

Best Foreign Language Film
A Separation (Iran)
Also nominated: The Flowers of War (China); In the Land of Blood and Honey (USA); The Kid with a Bike (Belgium); The Skin I Live In (Spain)

What do you think of the 2012 Golden Globe award winners? Please leave your comments below.

Daniel Green