Jessica Alba announces nominations for the 70th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California December 13, 2012. The awards will be presented on January 13, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

FROM STAGE TO SCREEN

"Les Mis" director, Tom Hooper, who failed to get a nomination for his work on the movie, acknowledged the challenge of translating the beloved musical to the big screen.

"Millions of people hold this musical so close to their heart. I had to make a film that honors that experience...and I needed to find a way to work, which is why I chose to do all live singing," Hooper told Reuters.

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The HFPA also opened the door to smaller, sometimes overlooked movies and performances, while largely snubbing high profile contenders such as the James Bond film "Skyfall," which got just one mention, for Adele's best original song.

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Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom" and admired British senior ensemble film, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," were both nominated in the best musical or comedy category.

"They are precious little films that now have to be taken seriously," said Tom O'Neil of awards website Goldderby.com.

In the acting race, Jessica Chastain's CIA agent in "Zero Dark Thirty" will square off against Helen Mirren in "Hitchcock," British actress Rachel Weisz in period drama, "The Deep Blue Sea," France's Marion Cotillard for "Rust and Bone," and Naomi Watts in tsunami survival tale "The Impossible".

Chastain said that aside from being a true-life thriller, "Zero Dark Thirty" also aimed at asking questions about society.

"To be involved in a movie that does that - the 9/11 hunt for Osama bin Laden pretty much defined this decade for us - and to be playing the woman who sacrificed so much to find him is such an honor," the actress told Reuters.

Day-Lewis's performance as Lincoln will compete against Denzel Washington's alcoholic airline pilot in "Flight," Richard Gere's role as a corrupt financial executive in "Arbitrage," John Hawkes as a severely disabled man in "The Sessions," and Joaquin Phoenix's drifter in the cult tale, "The Master".

The Golden Globes also honor the year's best TV shows. "Game Change," the HBO film about Sarah Palin's 2008 bid to become US vice-president, led the nominations with five, followed by post-9/11 psychological thriller, "Homeland," with four.