Golden Globes: Here’s our expert pick of who’ll win each categories

WHO’LL go home with a statue and who will go home empty-handed? Here’s our pick of what will go down at the Golden Globes.

NOT long ago, the Golden Globe Awards were seen as a lightweight event that was more party than prestige, but those days are over.

These days, the Globes heavily influence who will dominate at the Oscars the following month. As such, the eyes of the film world are locked on the star-studded dinner.

Dynamic duo ... Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are back again as hosts of the Golden Globe Awards. Picture: AP

The small screen also continues to boom big time and the event is the first opportunity to lavish praise on the best and brightest after another strong year in TV.

Saturday Night Live alum Tina Fey and Amy Poehler return to host the night, they say for the last time.

Here are our predictions of who will take out each category today.

BEST MOTION PICTURE — DRAMA

Boyhood

Foxcatcher

The Imitation Game

Selma

The Theory of Everything

And the winner is ...

Boyhood. No need for binoculars. Boyhood is simply so far ahead of the pack here.

This is the transfixing production where the featured cast aged naturally before the cameras over a 12-year period.

The end result was that rare film capturing both the passing of time and the gaining of knowledge. Heady stuff? Yes. But pretentious? Never. A modern masterpiece.

Sure bet ... Ellar Coltrane and Ethan Hawke in Boyhood.

BEST MOTION PICTURE — COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Birdman

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Into the Woods

Pride

St. Vincent

And the winner is ...

Birdman. Aside from the magnificently mind-bending Birdman (previewing in Australian cinemas this weekend), this is a weaker line-up than usual.

Which is not to discount the brilliance, bravery and complex creativity pulsing through every frame of Birdman.

A seeming sure victory here sets up an intriguing clash with Boyhood for the Best Picture Oscar next month.

MICHAEL KEATON: From Batman to Birdman

BIRDMAN REVIEW: 4.5 stars from Leigh Paatsch

Mind-bender ... Michael Keaton and Ed Norton in Birdman.

BEST DIRECTOR — MOTION PICTURE

Wes Anderson — Grand Budapest Hotel

David Fincher — Gone Girl

Ava Duvernay — Selma

Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu — Birdman

Richard Linklater — Boyhood

And the winner is ...

Richard Linklater. For an original vision executed to perfection, victory here just has to go to Linklater.

The prolific and versatile Texan filmmaker was a taking a giant step into the unknown committing to Boyhood’s decade-plus shooting schedule.

However, they don’t give out trophies just for extreme patience. Boyhood is a truly wonderful, unforgettable movie experience.

Winning combo ... Boyhood Richard Linklater and star Ellar Coltrane toast their success.

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE — DRAMA

Steve Carell — Foxcatcher

Benedict Cumberbatch — The Imitation Game

Jake Gyllenhaal — Nightcrawler

David Oyelowo — Selma

Eddie Redmayne — The Theory of Everything

And the winner is ...

Eddie Redmayne. Earlier in this awards season, most onlookers had Benedict Cumberbatch marked down as a certainty here.

However, Redmayne’s unshowy portrayal of the famous physicist Stephen Hawking is drawing a lot of intense heat at the expense of Cumberbatch, and deservedly so. Carell and Gyllenhaal would go close in most other years.

Steady Eddie ... Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything.

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE — DRAMA

Jennifer Aniston — Cake

Felicity Jones — The Theory of Everything

Julianne Moore — Still Alice

Rosamund Pike — Gone Girl

Reese Witherspoon — Wild

And the winner is ...

Julianne Moore. This experienced campaigner has long been considered a worthy bridesmaid on the awards circuit, but results in the past month suggest Moore’s time to reap real rewards has finally come.

She is her usual brilliant self in Still Alice, a heartbreaking affair in which her character confronts an early onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE — COMEDY

Ralph Fiennes — Grand Budapest Hotel

Michael Keaton — Birdman

Bill Murray — St. Vincent

Joaquin Phoenix — Inherent Vice

Christoph Waltz — Big Eyes

And the winner is ...

Michael Keaton. A likely victory for Keaton will complete one of the more remarkable career comebacks in modern movie history.

His astonishing work in Birdman draws on a combination of great technique and fearless experimentation. If he had have been nominated in the Drama category here, he would have won that too.

Bring on the Oscars!

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE — COMEDY

Amy Adams — Big Eyes 2.10

Emily Blunt — Into the Woods 2.00 recent push

Helen Mirren — The Hundred Foot Journey

Julianne Moore — Maps to the Stars

Quvenzhané Wallis — Annie

And the winner is ...

Emily Blunt. One of the closer contests of the evening. Many pundits have Amy Adams a clear top pick.

However, Emily Blunt’s delightfully dexterous display in the musical Into the Woods should resonate more powerfully with Globe voters, who have traditionally favoured song-and-dance practitioners.

Blunt is well worth a flutter if you’re looking for a value wager.

Blunt force ... Emily Blunt and James Corden in Into the Woods.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE

Robert Duvall — The Judge

Ethan Hawke — Boyhood

Edward Norton — Birdman

Mark Ruffalo — Foxcatcher

J.K. Simmons — Whiplash

And the winner is ...

J.K. Simmons. This category boasts an incredible array of acting talent. So for J.K. Simmons — the least-known name on the list — to be ranked as the hottest favourite of the night says volumes about the excellence of his searing performance in Whiplash.

His portrayal of a venomous music instructor was all impact, all the time.

Sadist ... J.K. Simmons in Whiplash.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE

Patricia Arquette — Boyhood

Jessica Chastain- A Most Violent Year

Keira Knightley — The Imitation Game

Emma Stone — Birdman

Meryl Streep — Into the Woods

And the winner is ...

Patricia Arquette. Great to see Arquette’s crucial work in Boyhood due to get the recognition it deserves.

Though the film’s fortunes ultimately rested on the efforts of its inexperienced lead actor Ellar Coltrane, Arquette was right alongside him in all the scenes that mattered.

A beautifully natural performance. Cannot lose.

Cannot lose ... Patricia Arquette in Boyhood.

BEST TV SERIES — DRAMA

The Affair

Downton Abbey

Game of Thrones

The Good Wife

House of Cards

And the winner is ...

A strong slate, but buzz suggests House of Cards could break through for the first win for Netflix against the big studios.

Despite a powerhouse season, The Good Wife will remain bridesmaid and never the bride.

Netflix winner ... Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright in House of Cards.

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV DRAMA

Claire Danes for Homeland

Viola Davis for How To Get Away With Murder

Julianna Marguiles for The Good Wife

Ruth Wilson for The Affair

Robin Wright for House of Cards

And the winner is ...

Another tough category with five real contenders. The new money is coming for Viola Davis and having binged on her show’s first season (coming soon to Seven) last weekend, she gets my nod ahead of Robin Wright.

Place your bets ... Viola Davis and friends in How to Get Away With Murder.

BEST ACTOR IN A TV DRAMA

Clive Owen for The Knick

Liev Schreiber for Ray Donovan

Kevin Spacey for House of Cards

James Spader for The Blacklist

Dominic West for The Affair

And the winner is ...

Would anyone dare defy Frank Underwood (aka Kevin Spacey) his prize? Look where it got all his political foes and I for one won’t be crossing him. If I had to pick a dark horse, it would be Dominic West for The Affair.

BEST TV SERIES — COMEDY/MUSICAL

Girls

Jane The Virgin

Orange Is The New Black

Silicon Valley

Transparent

And the winner is ...

This could be another win for Netflix for Orange is the New Black, which not only has the budget to campaign hard for its titles to the voters of the Hollywood Foreign Press, but has waited its turn, like Amazon Instant Video should do, despite its risky series, Transparent.

Better than Porridge ... Jason Biggs and Taylor Schilling in Orange is the New Black.

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV COMEDY/MUSICAL

Lena Dunham for Girls

Edie Falco for Nurse Jackie

Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Veep

Gina Rodriguez for Jane the Virgin

Taylor Schilling for Orange Is The New Black

And the winner is ...

My vote goes to Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the hilarious Vice President Selina Meyer.

To be honest, Lena Dunham’s schtick on Girls is beginning to wear thin and Gina Rodriguez may not have paid her dues for a Virgin win.

BEST ACTOR IN A TV COMEDY/MUSICAL

Louis C.K for Louie

Don Cheadle for House of Lies

Ricky Gervais for Derek

William H. Macy for Shameless

Jeffrey Tambor for Transparent

And the winner is ...

Sentiment will be with veteran Jeffrey Tambor for Transparent, the story of a family struggling with the discovery their father Mort is transgender. For entertainment value when it comes to acceptance speeches, my pick is Derek star Ricky Gervais.

Entertainment value ... A Ricky Gervais acceptance speech for a Derek win would be worth the price of admission.

BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE FOR TV

Fargo

The Missing

The Normal Heart

Olive Kitteridge

True Detective

And the winner is ...

The McConaugh-aissance continues, which should be enough to secure a win for True Detective, but there’s a case for each of these nominations.

The Normal Heart was achingly sad, while Olive Kitteridge deeply depressing with a bonus appearance by Bill Murray.

Powerhouse ... Woody Harrelson as Martin Hart and Matthew McConaughey as Rust Cohle in True Detective.

BEST ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE FOR TV

Maggie Gyllenhaal for The Honorable Woman

Jessica Lange for American Horror Story: Freak Show

Frances McDormand for Olive Kitteridge

Frances O’Connor for The Missing

Allison Tolman for Fargo

And the winner is ...

The winner won’t be Julia Roberts for The Normal Heart, a snub which was shock enough for this category, given the HFPA’ fondness for nominating A-listers in order to add glitz to their guest list.

In a tight field, I see an Aussie Frances v US Frances showdown, with McDormand taking the gong.

Frances vs. Frances ... Frances McDormand with Richard Jenkins in Olive Kitteridge.

BEST ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE FOR TV

Martin Freeman for Fargo

Woody Harrelson for True Detective

Matthew McConaughey for True Detective

Mark Ruffalo for The Normal Heart

Billy Bob Thornton for Fargo

And the winner is ...

My heart says Mark Ruffalo, for his compassionate and passionate performance as an HIV and gay rights activist, but my head says Matthew McConaughey should back up for another win against his co-star Woody Harrelson.

Catch all the glitz and glamour of the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards on Monday January 12 at 12pm live on FOX8, with a prime time encore at 7.30pm.

Originally published as Golden Globes: Here’s our expert pick of who’ll win each categories