British talent goes head to head with US at Golden Globes

Costume drama Downton Abbey is up for best mini-series or movie and The Hour, set in a BBC news studio at the time of Suez, is also on the short list announced yesterday.

Hugh Bonneville, who plays the Earl of Grantham in Downton, is nominated for best actor in a mini-series or movie and American Elizabeth McGovern, who plays his on-screen wife, is shortlisted for best actress in a mini-series or movie. Romola Garai is on that list for her part in The Hour, alongside Kate Winslet, for the already award-winning Mildred Pierce, and Emily Watson, for ITV series Appropriate Adult, about mass-killer Fred West and his social worker. Dame Maggie Smith, who plays the Earl’s mother in Downton, gets a best supporting actress nomination, alongside Scots actress Kelly Macdonald, for US drama Boardwalk Empire.

Tilda Swinton is a hot contender for the overall best actress award, for We Need To Talk About Kevin, but faces strong opposition from Meryl Streep, nominated for her role as British former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.

Best actor nominations are all-American including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ryan Gosling.

Brits Idris Elba, Bill Nighy and Dominic West are shortlisted for their roles in the BBC dramas Luther, Page Eight and The Hour respectively. And Jeremy Irons and Damian Lewis are on the shortlist for best actor in a television drama for their roles in The Borgias and Homeland.

First World War epic War Horse competes for best drama. But The Artist, the new tribute to the pre-talkies era, has nominations in that and five other categories.