ALL ABOUT THE KING GEORGE V: MOVIE WINS 6 GOLDEN GLOBES

Culture : The King's Speech

Golden Globes nominations: The King's Speech wears the crown

Royal drama rewarded with seven nominations in the US Golden Globes film awards, edging ahead of The Social Network and The Fighter, which took six each

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In what looks set to be hailed as a triumph for British cinema, The King's Speech today led the field at the Golden Globe award nominations, making the shortlist in seven categories including best dramatic film.

1. The King's Speech
2. Production year: 2010
3. Countries: Rest of the world, UK
4. Directors: Tom Hooper
5. Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon
6. More on this film

The nominations anointed three very different films – and three very different heroes, a boxer, a geek as well as the stuttering king – as frontrunners for awards glory next year.
Hot on the heels of the British film was David O Russell's boxing saga The Fighter and David Fincher's The Social Network, an unauthorised biopic of the billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, both tied on six nominations apiece. Early evidence, however, suggests that the monarch may just take the crown. The winners will be announced in Hollywood on January 16.

The King's Speech stars Colin Firth as George VI and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue, the Australian speech therapist who helps the monarch find his voice in the run-up to the second world war. Hailed by Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw as "a handsomely produced, massively confident crowd-pleaser", it was shot on a comparatively meagre budget of £4.5m with help from the now defunct UK Film Council. The picture picked up acting nominations for Firth, Rush and Helena Bonham Carter, who plays plays Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother. There was also a director nod for its British film-maker, Tom Hooper.

Other British hopes include Christian Bale, nominated for his supporting role in The Fighter, and rising star Andrew Garfield. Born in the US but raised in England, Garfield was shortlisted for his performance in The Social Network. He has since been cast as Spider-Man in the reboot of the superhero series of films.
Joining The King's Speech on the best dramatic film shortlist were Inception, Black Swan, The Fighter and The Social Network. Elsewhere, Alice in Wonderland, Burlesque, The Kids Are All Right, Red and The Tourist were all nominated for best comedy/musical.
Today's announcement spelled good news for Johnny Depp, who picked up two nominations in the best comedy/musical category for his performances in Alice in Wonderland and The Tourist. But the sentimental favourite in the acting race is likely to be Michael Douglas. Currently battling stage-four cancer, Douglas was nominated for his barnstorming role as a semi-reformed Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

The Golden Globes are traditionally regarded as a crucial dress rehearsal for the all-important Academy awards. But its reputation as a reliable guide to Oscar glory is no longer what it was. Slumdog Millionaire is the only film in the past six years to have followed a Golden Globe with a best picture Oscar. Last year's best film and director Globes went to James Cameron for Avatar. That decision was later upended at the Academy awards when Kathryn Bigelow won for her tense Iraq war drama, The Hurt Locker.