The Golden Globes are given out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and were first given out in 1944, with innovations like the Cecil B. DeMille award, which is given to someone who has made great contributions to the entertainment industry, and the Miss Golden Globe title, which is often held by the child of a celebrity, added in subsequent years.
While the first ceremony was held in 1944, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association gave out only six awards, the prizes which are still regarded as the big-ticket prizes today: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture. (The movie “The Song of Bernadette” took home the Best Picture prize.) It wasn’t until 1951 that the Golden Globe divided its main prize, Best Picture, into two categories, Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Acting awards for Best Actor and Best Actress are given in those two categories as well, but only one award is given for a Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
The awards ceremony was disrupted in 2008 due to the writers’ strike in Hollywood. Because many actors, writers, and behind-the-scenes workers said they would not attend the ceremony, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association instead gave a half-hour press conference in which the winners were announced. “Atonement” took the prize that year for Best Motion Picture – Drama and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” won Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
While Ricky Gervais has hosted the ceremony in recent years, the 2013 show will be hosted by “30 Rock” actress Tina Fey and “Parks and Recreation” actress Amy Poehler. Actress Jodie Foster will receive the Cecil B. DeMille award and Clint Eastwood’s daughter Francesca Eastwood will be Miss Golden Globe.
The 2012 nominees for Best Actor, Drama:
Daniel Day-Lewis got the nod for portraying Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's epic film. The other best dramatic actor contenders include Richard Gere, who played an underhanded hedge-fund manager in "Arbitrage"; John Hawkes, who played a paryalyzed polio victim and devout Catholic trying to lose his virginity in "The Sessions"; Joaquin Phoenix who performed as a wild-eyed Navy vet in a cult, "The Master"; and Denzel Washington, who played an alcoholic commercial airline pilot in "Flight."
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
Richard Gere, “Arbitrage”
John Hawkes, “The Sessions”
Joaquin Phoenix, “The Master”
Denzel Washington, “Flight”
