The cultural drama Babeland the uplifting musical Dreamgirlswon the top Golden Globe awards last night to make them front-runners in Hollywood's Oscar race.
Forest Whitaker won the award for best actor in a film drama for his portrayal of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. Helen Mirren won two trophies, best actress in a film drama for playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Queenand best actress in a television mini-series or TV movie in Elizabeth I.
Sacha Baron Cohen holds his award for best performance by an actor in a motion picture for his role in Borat
Sacha Baron Cohen, who plays a dimwitted reporter in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, was given the award for best actor in a film musical or comedy.
The Golden Globe awards, which are voted on by nearly 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are a major stop on the road to the Academy Awards next month because winners often go on to compete for Oscars, which are given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Dreamgirls, which follows the rise of three women singers and closely resembles the ascendancy of all-girl groups like The Supremes, won three awards.
The Dreamgirlsbounty was more than any other film, and it included the trophies for best musical or comedy, as well as best supporting actor and actress for Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, respectively.
Babel, a story of cultural differences and communication failures across borders, earned only one award but it was a big one - best film drama. It entered the Golden Globes as the most nominated movie with seven.
Martin Scorsese took home the prize for best director with his crime thriller The Departed. The Scorsese film came into the show as the second most nominated movie with six.