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Steven Spielberg is hoping for Golden Globes glory for his political drama Lincoln on Sunday, as Hollywood hits the red carpet for its biggest pre-Oscars awards show.

The veteran director's presidential biopic is nominated in seven categories, ahead of Ben Affleck's Iran drama Argo and Quentin Tarantino's spaghetti Western tribute Django Unchained, both with five nods.

Chinese-American Ang Lee is also up for best movie with his sumptuous 3D adventure Life of Pi, as is Oscar-winning Kathryn Bigelow's controversial Osama bin Laden manhunt movie Zero Dark Thirty.

US TV comedy favorites Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will co-host the Globes at the Beverly Hilton hotel, after three years of edgy British comic Ricky Gervais taking barbed shots at the assembled A-listers.

Spielberg's film won a major boost just days before Sunday's show, when it topped the nominations announced on Thursday for the all-important Academy Awards next month, shortlisted in 12 Oscar categories.

Lincoln star Daniel Day-Lewis is favorite for best actor, against Denzel Washington for piloting Flight while drunk, Richard Gere for Arbitrage, John Hawkes for The Sessions and Joaquin Phoenix for The Master.

Best actress is slightly more open: Jessica Chastain is widely tipped for her role as a CIA agent relentlessly tracking bin Laden in Zero Dark Thirty, while France's Marion Cotillard has drawn praise for Rust and Bone.

But Britain's Helen Mirren is also a strong contender as a cinema legend's wife in Hitchcock. Also in the running are Naomi Watts for Indian Ocean tsunami drama The Impossible and Rachel Weisz for The Deep Blue Sea.

Other drama films tipped include Tom Hooper's musical adaptation Les Miserables, dark rom-com Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty, which tied for third place with four Globes nods.

On the comedy and musical front, best film nominees are Indian-themed The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Silver Linings Playbook, Les Miserables, Moonrise Kingdom and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, starring Ewan McGregor.

Best comedy/music actor nods went to Jack Black for Bernie, Hangover star Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings, Australian Hugh Jackman for Les Mis, McGregor for Salmon Fishing and Bill Murray for Hyde Park on Hudson.

Three British actresses are shortlisted for best comedy or musical turns: Emily Blunt for Salmon Fishing, Judi Dench for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and fellow veteran Maggie Smith for Quartet.

On the small screen, multiple award-winning British period drama Downton Abbey was nominated for best drama, against Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, spy thriller series Homeland and The Newsroom.

The three-hour Globes telecast, beamed live around the world, starts at 9 am on Monday Beijing Time.

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Emily Cheng is an editor at China Daily. She was born in Sydney, Australia and graduated from the University of Sydney with a degree in Media, English Literature and Politics. She has worked in the media industry since starting university and this is the third time she has settled abroad - she interned with a magazine in Hong Kong 2007 and studied at the University of Leeds in 2009.