Grab your popcorn, boys and girls.

With every new year, we usher in awards season. The bright, beautiful, and best of the entertainment scene are recognised with oddly significant statuettes, symbols of accomplishment to the artists and visionaries who put their blood, sweat, and tears into big and small screen productions.

Kicking things off is the 75th Golden Globe Awards, to be hosted by Seth Meyers at Hollywood’s The Beverly Hilton. It’s been a grand year of cinema and TV – see our predictions of who will reign at this year’s Globes.

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Call Me by Your Name/ Dunkirk/ The Post/ The Shape of Water/ Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

It could be anyone’s game with a stellar list like this, but if critics are to be trusted, there’s a clear front runner. Cross-species romance The Shape of Water leads the pack with seven nominations this year, on the back of massive international support. It also has that indie-fantasy spunk the Globes goes weak in the knees for. If we’re thinking Emmy-style, blockbuster Dunkirk would take top spot instead.

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

The Disaster Artist/ Get Out/ The Greatest Showman/ I, Tonya/ Lady Bird

Everyone and their mother loved the uber-timely satire Get Out, and we’d love for it to be recognised – even if it does seem a little misplaced in this category. But the autobiographical coming-of-ager Lady Bird is so infectiously heartwarming, and has already collected critics’ association awards since its November release… so we’re certain it will shine brightest at the Globes. It is not only a heartwarming tale, but a testament to Saoirse Ronan’s tremendous growth and range.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Jessica Chastain, Molly’s Game/ Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water/ Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri/ Meryl Streep, The Post/ Michelle Williams, All the Money in the World

Controversial flick Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri will be awarded via the remarkable performance of Frances McDormand. The five-time nominee stole the show as an enraged and disillusioned mother in a performance that you don’t just watch, but feel long after the credits have rolled. One-time winner Sally Hawkins could stand a chance, though.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name/ Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread/ Tom Hanks, The Post/ Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour/ Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel Esq.

Screen darling Timothée Chalamet is stealing hearts and awards for his Call Me by Your Name performance, but we’re sure this category will be seized by an actor of wizened skill. Gary Oldman hasn’t been the Globes’ biggest fan, but if anything can help all parties get past that, its his highly commendable effort as Winston Churchill. Otherwise, the other (and more widely celebrated) Brit Daniel Day-Lewis stands a solid chance as a lovestruck 1950s fashion designer.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Judi Dench, Victoria & Abdul/ Helen Mirren, The Leisure Seeker/ Margot Robbie, I, Tonya/ Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird/ Emma Stone, Battle of the Sexes

The raw essence of youthful talent will prevail in the form of the unstoppable Saoirse Ronan. She delivers her role as a funny, smart but yearning teenager with such believable honesty. We know the Globes loves defending champion Emma Stone, but could Ronan’s third nomination be the charm?

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Steve Carell, Battle of the Sexes/ Ansel Elgort, Baby Driver/ James Franco, The Disaster Artist/ Hugh Jackman, The Greatest Showman/ Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

Believability is the primary factor once again, this time for Daniel Kaluuya, who is now instantly recognisable for his role in Jordan Peele’s Get Out. He is the thread of consistency that weaves the movie together. That said, with James Franco’s parody depiction of Tommy Wiseau in the picture, we may just be disappointed by banking on Kaluuya’s raw chops.

Best Director – Motion Picture

Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water/ Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri/ Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk/ Ridley Scott, All the Money in the World/ Steven Spielberg, The Post

We’ll admit right off the bat that we’re partial to movie magic of the Nolan kind, but once again, trends indicate Guillermo del Toro might rise above this group of respectable directors. Dunkirk was a vision of the grandest sort, which Nolan orchestrated with such finesse in combining drama and raw emotion with breathtaking imagery and sound (for which Hans Zimmer will score Best Score). Now that’s a show worth rewarding ten times over – even if we’re let down at the omission of Edgar Wright (Baby Driver), who mixes all the right ingredients to be a potential Globes comedy favourite.

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, The Shape of Water/ Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird/ Liz Hannah and Josh Singer, The Post/ Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri/ Aaron Sorkin, Molly’s Game

While Greta Gerwig’s writer-director role in Lady Bird is commendable, we doubt her warm and tender brand holds a candle to Aaron Sorkin’s fast-paced dialogue riffs and fierce zingers. His work in Molly’s Game outshines the performance of the actors themselves – it carries the suspense and profound brilliance all the way home, reminding us why Sorkin is in a league of his own.

Best Television Series – Drama

The Crown, Netflix/ Game of Thrones, HBO/ The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu/ Stranger Things, Netflix/ This Is Us, NBC

There are a couple of cult favourites that could easily take the cake here (Game of Thrones, Stranger Things), and one known awards darling (The Crown), but we have a hunch this is the year for The Handmaid’s Tale. The dystopian novel adaptation has risen parallel to the #MeToo moment, and socio-cultural relevance almost always beats popularity at this award show. Elisabeth Moss may also well win best actress for her lead role.

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

black-ish, ABC/ The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Amazon/ Master of None, Netflix/ Smilf, Showtime/ Will & Grace, NBC

As with the previous TV category, this one can also be pinned to timeliness. We know how much the Globes loves fresh comedies, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which tells of a wannabe-comedian 1950’s housewife, seems most promising. Let’s not rule out black-ish or Master of None, though. Each tell important stories of identity and race with a formula of natural relatability and infectious candour.

The 2019 Golden Globes will air on Monday, January 8 at 9 a.m. MYT (Malaysia time). You can also live stream The HFPA Presents: Globes Red Carpet Live pre-show on the Golden Globes Facebook page at 7 a.m.

Check out the complete nomination list here.