Avatar director James Cameron, actor Jamie Lee Curtis and other celebrities have stepped onto a silver carpet at the first Golden Globe awards since a scandal knocked the glitzy Hollywood ceremony off television.
Heavy rain eased to a drizzle on Tuesday just as stars began to arrive at the show in Beverly Hills where the flashy Elvis biopic and sci-fi blockbuster Avatar: The Way of Water will battle for the top honour of best drama film.
A strong line-up of Australian nominees at the star-studded gala includes Cate Blanchett, Hugh Jackman, Margot Robbie, Baz Luhrmann and Elizabeth Debicki.
The Golden Globes returns to television after celebrities and broadcaster NBC abandoned the 2022 show because of ethical lapses at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the group that hands out the awards.
A larger, more diverse membership and other changes by the HFPA persuaded many of the biggest movie and TV stars to support this year’s ceremony, which provides publicity for winners and nominees and often boosts their chances at the Oscars.
Organisers chose a silver carpet instead of the traditional red for the Globes’ 80th anniversary, which begins at 8pm (1200 on Wednesday AEDT).
Big names expected to attend included Brad Pitt, Viola Davis and Elvis star Austin Butler, a favourite for a best actor trophy.
“I think we’re going to see Elvis win and Austin Butler win,” said Chris Beachum, managing editor of awards website Gold Derby. Golden Globes voters “have proven time and time again that they love spectacles and they love musicals”.
Baz Luhrmann is in the running for best director for Elvis, which is in the running for top drama film against The Way of Water, the long-awaited Avatar sequel; Steven Spielberg’s coming-of-age film The Fabelmans and Tar, starring Cate Blanchett, who is nominated for best actress in a drama for her turn as a conniving orchestra conductor.
Fellow Aussie Hugh Jackman is nominated as best actor in a drama for The Son, while Margot Robbie is vying for best actress in a musical or comedy for her role in Babylon.
Australian Elizabeth Debicki is nominated for best supporting actress in a TV series for her portrayal of Princess Diana in the fifth season of The Crown.
Top Gun: Maverick also is in the mix, though Beachum said its chances were likely hurt by star Tom Cruise returning his Globe statues in protest in 2021.
Cruise was reacting to a Los Angeles Times investigation that revealed the HFPA had no black journalists in its ranks and accused members of soliciting favours from celebrities and movie studios. He is not expected to attend Tuesday’s show.
The Banshees of Inisherin, which has more nominations than any other movie, is seen as the leading contender for best comedy or musical film.
Comedian Jerrod Carmichael will host the three-hour ceremony, while Eddie Murphy will receive a lifetime achievement honour. Director Quentin Tarantino and actor Jamie Lee Curtis are listed among presenters.
Actor Sean Penn also will introduce a video message from President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine.
In TV categories, Abbott Elementary racked up the most nominations and is considered a leader for best comedy.
Roughly 200 journalists and others from the international film industry voted on this year’s Globes. Among those voters, nearly 52 per cent are racially and ethnically diverse, including 10 per cent who are black, according to the HFPA.
