HELEN MIRREN - BRITISH TALENT GEARS UP FOR GOLDEN GLOBES

BRITISH TALENT GEARS UP FOR GOLDEN GLOBES

Some of Britain's top actresses are gearing up for one of the biggest awards ceremonies of the year – the Golden Globes.

Brits Helen Mirren, Judi Dench and Kate Winslet have all been nominated for best actress but they face stiff competition from Penelope Cruz and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Elsewhere, Leonardo DiCaprio – who has been nominated twice for his role in two films – Peter O'Toole, Will Smith and Forest Whitaker are among those nervously contemplating a best male actor speech at this evening's ceremony.

All eyes will be on which film will triumph as the best of the year as well, with Babel, Bobby, The Departed, Little Children and The Queen in the running.

But it's not just the actors who are busy preparing themselves for tonight; more than 50 Hollywood stars are attending as presenters.

Among the prestigious list are George Clooney, Dustin Hoffman, Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Lopez.

Tom Hanks is also set to present Warren Beatty with this year's Cecil B DeMille award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for his outstanding contribution to the entertainment field.

Events kick off at 20:00 EST (04:00 GMT) from the Beverly Hills Hilton in Los Angeles.