Atonement Leads Golden Globe Nominations....

British film Atonement is leading the nominations for the 2008 Golden Globe Awards with nods in seven categories.Keira Knightley has been shortlisted for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama for the romantic epic, and her co-star James McAvoy picked up the same honour in the Best Actor category. Joe Wright has also received a Best Director nod for his critically lauded adaptation of Ian McEwan's 2001 novel.Atonement will be competing for the coveted Best Motion Picture - Drama award with American Gangster, Eastern Promises, The Great Debaters, No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood.Hollywood star George Clooney joins McAvoy in the running for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama prize for his role in Michael Clayton, as does Daniel Day-Lewis, for There Will Be Blood; Viggo Mortensen, for Eastern Promises; and Denzel Washington, for American Gangster.Knightley will be battling it out with Cate Blanchett, for Elizabeth: The Golden Age; Angelina Jolie, for A Mighty Heart; Julie Christie, for Away From Her; and Jodie Foster, for The Brave One.Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has been nominated for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Director for Tim Burton and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy. Depp will be up against Ryan Gosling, for Lars and the Real Girl; Tom Hanks, for Charlie Wilson's War; Philip Seymour Hoffman, for The Savages; and John C. Reilly, for Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.Nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy are Amy Adams, Enchanted; Nikki Blonsky, Hairspray; Helena Bonham Carter, Sweeney Todd; Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose; and Ellen Page, Juno.Sir Ridley Scott, for American Gangster; Ethan Coen and Joel Coen for No Country For Old Men; Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell And The Butterfly will be in the running with Wright and Burton for the Best Director prize.

Big Love, Damages, Grey's Anatomy, House, Mad Men and The Tudors have been nominated for the Best Television Series - Drama award, while 30 Rock, Californication, Entourage, Extras and Pushing Daisies will be competing for the equivalent prize in the Comedy or Musical category.

Patricia Arquette, for Medium; Glenn Close, for Damages; Minnie Driver, for The Riches; Edie Falco, for The Sopranos; Sally Field, for Brothers & Sisters; Holly Hunter, for Saving Grace; and Kyra Sedgwick, for The Closer are all up for the Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series - Drama. Michael C. Hall, for Dexter; Jon Hamm, for Mad Men; Hugh Laurie, for House; Jonathan Rhys Meyers, for The Tudors; and Bill Paxton, for Big Love are nominated for the male award.

In the category of Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical, 30 Rock, Californication, Entourage, Extras and Pushing Daisies have all received nods.

Christina Applegate, for Samantha Who?; America Ferrera, for Ugly Betty; Mary-Louise Parker, for Weeds; Alec Baldwin, for 30 Rock; Steve Carell, for 30 Rock; David Duchovny, for Californication; and Ricky Gervais, for Extras are among the actors competing for the female/male performer gongs in the Comedy or Musical category.

The awards ceremony will take place at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on 13 January (08).

Helen Earnshaw

Tagged in