The Brits Are Coming! Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt Score Golden Globe Nominations

The Brits Are Coming! Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt Score Golden Globe Nominations

Several British stars scored Golden Globe nominations on Friday morning (December 14, 2012), with Tom Hooper's Les Miserables looking the UK's best hope of scoring a statuette. The musical is in the running for Best Picture (Comedy of Musical), as well as a string of acting awards.

Though the Globes is considered a solid barometer for the Oscars, it has been criticised for shaping its nominations to attract as many big name stars as possible. In 2011, Johnny Depp was nominated for his role in the critically panned The Tourist, leading host Ricky Gervais to joke, "It seems like everything this year was three-dimensional.except the characters in The Tourist." Nevertheless, several lesser known movies from the past year received nominations, including Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt's Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. Judi Dench received a nod for Best Exotic Marigold Hotel while Helen Mirren and Rachel Weisz will compete for the Best Actress (Drama) award for their roles in Hitchcock and The Deep Blue Sea respectively. "It's the first major red carpet occasion of awards season," said Nick James, editor of the film magazine Sight & Sound, "so the HFPA need the maximum number of dresses on that carpet, and the widest range of hot talent on their list. They probably have a small eye on that, but I don't think it's too bent in that direction."

Though British stars were listed in today's nominations, it is likely to be Ben Affleck, Steven Spielberg, Kathryn Bigelow, Daniel Day Lewis, Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathway who contest the major prizes.