The Golden Globe awards take place in Hollywood this weekend. Alongside the Academy Awards it is one of the most famous ceremonies for the film industry. In fact, it is often considered a precursor for who and what will eventually win at the Oscars. But who will win this weekend? We have looked at all the major categories and weighed in with our predictions.
Best Motion Picture - Drama
Nominees: Carol, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Room, Spotlight
Prediction: Spotlight
Spotlight has already claimed many prizes during this awards season. The old-school newsroom drama about the real life team who exposed corruption within the Catholic Church is looking certain to recreate its success at the Golden Globes on Sunday. If it does, the Academy Award will be theirs for the taking.
Best Actress In A Motion Picture - Drama
Nominees: Cate Blanchett - Carol, Brie Larson - Room, Rooney Mara - Carol, Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn, Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
Prediction: Brie Larson - Room
Brie Larson has been a popular actress in independent circles for the last few years. Many of us championed her for awards in 2013 when she gave a heartbreaking performance in Short Term 12, but because it was such a small movie it unfortunately got overlooked. Finally, her talent is being realised with the high profile adaptation of Room, based on Emma Donoghue's bestselling novel, in which she gives a shattering performance as a kidnapped mother.
Best Actor In A Motion Picture - Drama
Nominees: Bryan Cranston - Trumbo, Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant, Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs, Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl, Will Smith - Concussion
Prediction: Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant
This could finally be the year that Leonardo DiCaprio wins his Oscar. What more does he have to do? For The Revenant he endured dangerous conditions, slept in an animal carcass and ate raw bison liver to get to the heart of his character, a frontiersman stranded in the wilderness, in this epic from the director of Birdman. If he wins a Golden Globe he will well and truly be on the road to Oscar glory.
Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical
Nominees: The Big Short, Joy, The Martian, Spy, Trainwreck
Prediction: The Big Short
The Golden Globes' controversial Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical section is so specific that it's usually easy to predict the winner. That's not the case this year with stiff competition from Joy, Trainwreck and The Martian. However, the financial crisis comedy The Big Short has been earning a lot of critical acclaim since it was released stateside as has the combined star-power of Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale and Steve Carell.
Best Actress In A Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical
Nominees: Jennifer Lawrence - Joy, Melissa McCarthy - Spy, Amy Schumer - Trainwreck, Maggie Smith - The Lady In The Van, Lily Tomlin - Grandma
Prediction: Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
Jennifer Lawrence faces some difficult competition from her new BFF, comedian Amy Schumer, but her popularity and star power could allow her to get her hands on yet another award. After all, her work in Joy, reuniting her with the director and many of the cast from Lawrence's award-winning movies American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook, is a delight.
Best Actor In A Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical
Nominees: Christian Bale - The Big Short, Steve Carell - The Big Short, Matt Damon - The Martian, Al Pacino - Danny Collins, Mark Ruffalo - Infinitely Polar Bear
Prediction: Matt Damon - The Martian
Matt Damon is at the centre of an ensemble of A-list actors in The Martian, Ridley Scott's terrific sci-fi survival film about a botanist stranded on Mars who must use his knowledge to stay alive until rescue teams can reach him. Damon provides the character with the likability, humour and scientific smarts that make him so easy to root for. He does it so successful it might just win him a Golden Globe for Best Actor In A Comedy Or Musical.
Best Supporting Actress
Nominees: Jane Fonda - Youth, Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight, Helen Mirren - Trumbo, Alicia Vikander - Ex Machina, Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs
Prediction: Alicia Vikander - Ex Machina
Alicia Vikander has had a very good year. The Swedish born actress has starred in The Danish Girl, The Man From UNCLE and Burnt. However, her best performance of the year was arguably her chilling turn in the low-key sci-fi thriller Ex Machina in which she plays an AI prototype. As a rising star who has worked relentlessly throughout 2015 Vikander could be the surprise winner of the Golden Globes' Best Supporting Actress prize for this role.