Hollywood has been gripped by awards fever for weeks, but for the rest of the world, the hoopla begins this afternoon, with the first major red-carpet event of the season: the Golden Globe Awards, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
The gong industry is now in full cry. The weekend before last saw the Palm Springs International Film Festival Gala. The New York Film Critics' Circle held its annual awards dinner last Tuesday. On Thursday the British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced its shortlists, followed the next morning by the Academy Award nominations, moved forward to ensure they took place before the Globes.
Hours later, Ben Affleck took home the Best Director and Best Picture prizes from the Critics' Choice Movie Awards, for his Iran hostage drama Argo. Affleck had been left off the list for Best Director at next month's Oscars. "I would like to thank the Academy," he said as he picked up his gong. "Just kidding, this is the one that counts!"
The Golden Globes don't quite "count" like an Oscar does, but they remain unique, setting themselves apart from their more austere counterpart, not least by serving booze to their guests. By splitting their awards into separate categories for Drama and for Musical or Comedy, the Globes allow films overlooked by the Academy to have their day in the sun. And by honouring movies and television on the same evening, they force the film industry to rub shoulders with its increasingly serious screen rival.
This year's awards season is an open field. While the top awards went to Affleck and Argo last Friday, the New York Film Critics' Circle gave its Best Director and Best Picture prizes to Kathryn Bigelow and Zero Dark Thirty, her film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. And though the two directors are in the running for Golden Globes, neither was nominated for an Oscar.
