Golden Globes 2014 nominees include '12 Years a Slave,' 'American Hustle'

"12 Years a Slave" and "American Hustle" emerged as the front-runners for this year's Golden Globes awards, earning seven nods each when nominations were announced Thursday. "12 Years a Slave" was named in the best dramatic film category, while "American Hustle" is in contention for best comedy or musical.

In third place was Alexander Payne's "Nebraska" with five nominations, including for best comedy and for Bruce Dern as best comedic actor. "Gravity" and "Captain Phillips," both named in the best dramatic picture category, trailed with four nominations apiece.

The announcement of the nominees helped tighten up an awards race that, until now, seemed like anyone's guess. Early plaudits from critics' groups have been all over the map. The New York Film Critics Circle named the caper comedy "American Hustle" its best picture, but the National Board of Review gave that honor to the sci-fi film "Her."

The Globes contenders also made clear which films are struggling in the awards race. One is "Lee Daniels' The Butler," an Oscar hopeful about the civil rights era, which earned three nominations from the Screen Actors Guild but was snubbed by the Globes. Nominations for Forest Whitaker as a White House butler and for Oprah Winfrey as his wife did not materialize.

Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street," about a crooked Long Island stock-market firm, earned only two nods, for best comedy and for Leonardo DiCaprio as best comedic actor.

The Globes air Jan. 12 on NBC.Major category nominees:

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

"12 Years a Slave"

"Captain Phillips"

"Gravity"

"Philomena"

"Rush"

BEST MOTION PICTURE,

MUSICAL OR COMEDY

"American Hustle"

"Her"

"Inside Llewyn Davis"

"Nebraska"

"The Wolf of Wall Street"

BEST TV SERIES, DRAMA

"Breaking Bad"

"Downton Abbey"

"The Good Wife"

"House of Cards"

"Masters of Sex"

BEST TV SERIES, COMEDY

"The Big Bang Theory"

"Brooklyn Nine-Nine"

"Girls"

"Modern Family"

"Parks and Recreation"