A French film that pays tribute to the silent movie era leads in nominations for the Golden Globes, a high-profile Hollywood award that recognizes the year's best achievements in film and television.
The Artist, a silent movie shot in black and white, received six nominations. They are Best Comedy or Musical, Best Actor for a Comedy or Musical, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score.
Two other movies, The Help and The Descendants, tied for second with five nominations, including Best Drama. The Help tells the story of African-American servants in the pre-civil rights era in the U.S. South, and The Descendants is about a land baron who struggles to keep his family together.
American actor George Clooney, who stars in The Descendants, is up for Best Actor. Fellow American Leonardo DiCaprio, who played the title role in J. Edgar, a film about longtime FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, is also nominated for Best Actor.
For television, Downton Abbey leads with four nominations, including Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.
The Golden Globes, presented each year by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are considered second in prestige to the Academy Awards and are often viewed as a barometer for movies and actors who will be favored to win Oscars.
The 68th annual Golden Globe nominations were announced Thursday in Los Angeles. The awards will be presented January 15 during an event that will be broadcast live in more than 160 countries.
The non-profit Hollywood Foreign Press Association is made up of 90 members who cover the entertainment industry throughout the world.
The organization uses the awards as a fundraising event for entertainment-related charities. Last year, the awards allowed the association to donate $1.2 million dollars to fund scholarships and other programs.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.