The 71st Golden Globe Awards will be held in Los Angeles tonight with two films vying for many of the key honours.

American Hustle and 12 Years a Slave both picked up seven nominations and the highly regarded films are each expected to triumph in their respective Best Picture group.

The awards will be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

Steve McQueen's slavery saga, based on Solomon Northup's 1853 memoir, 12 Years a Slave stars the British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor as a free man from New York state, sold into bondage in Louisiana. Its nominations include best director, best dramatic actor and the crowning best film drama.

David O Russell’s conman caper American Hustle, meanwhile, stars Christian Bale and Amy Adams as a pair of con artists who find themselves press-ganged into helping with an FBI operation. It was shortlisted for best comedy-or-musical, in addition to the best actor and actress prizes in the comedy-or-musical section.

The two main contenders are only brought together in the directing category, where O Russell and McQueen are bracketed alongside Paul Greengrass (for Captain Phillips), Alexander Payne (Nebraska) and Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity).

Judi Dench has been nominated for for her role in Philomena.

The film, which tells the true story of Philomena Lee's search for the son she was forced to give up for adoption in Ireland, is also in the running for best drama and best screenplay.

In the coveted best drama category, Philomena will compete against 12 Years a Slave, piracy tale Captain Phillips, space thriller Gravity and race-car rivalry Rush.

Best acting nominations favoured acclaimed actors with long careers, like 79-year-old Judi Dench for her role in Philomena or Robert Redford (77), the sole cast member as a sailor in All Is Lost.

The Golden Globe nominations, voted by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), are a leading indicator for the awards season and underscored the strong year for film, with many critically acclaimed movies and performances jostling for prominence.

The Golden Globes will be handed tonight in Beverly Hills, just days before the nominations for Academy Awards, the highest honours in Hollywood.

While the HFPA can make some unconventional choices, last year's Golden Globe for best drama went to Iran hostage thriller Argo, which went on to win the Oscar for best picture.

And while 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle compete in separate categories for Globes, they are likely to go head-to-head in the Oscars race for best picture.

The Golden Globes nominations also gave a boost to the new biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, which premiered shortly before the death of Nelson Mandela. Idris Elba was nominated best actor in a drama for his role as the South African anti-apartheid leader.

Golden Globes 2014: full list of nominations

FILM

Best actress, comedy or musical

Amy Adams, American Hustle

Julie Delpy, Before Midnight

Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Enough Said

Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Best supporting actor

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips

Daniel Brühl, Rush

Bradley Cooper, American Hustle

Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave

Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Best score

All Is Lost

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Gravity

The Book Thief

12 Years a Slave

Best song

Atlas, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Let It Go, Frozen

Ordinary Love, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Please Mr Kennedy, Inside Llewyn Davis

Sweeter Than Fiction, One Chance

Best director

Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity

Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips

Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave

Alexander Payne, Nebraska

David O Russell, American Hustle

Best actor

Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave

Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips

Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Robert Redford, All Is Lost

Best supporting actress

Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine

Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave

Julia Roberts, August: Osage County

June Squibb, Nebraska

Best actress, drama

Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Sandra Bullock, Gravity

Judi Dench, Philomena

Emma Thompson, Saving Mr Banks

Kate Winslet, Labor Day

Best comedy or musical

American Hustle

Her

Inside Llewyn Davis

Nebraska

The Wolf of Wall Street

Best drama

12 Years a Slave

Captain Phillips

Gravity

Philomena

Rush

Best actor, comedy or musical

Christian Bale, American Hustle

Bruce Dern, Nebraska

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street

Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis

Joaquin Phoenix, Her

Best animation

The Croods

Despicable Me 2

Frozen

Best screenplay

Spike Jonze, Her

Bob Nelson, Nebraska

Jeff Pope, Steve Coogan, Philomena

John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave

Eric Warren Singer, David O Russell, American Hustle

Best foreign language film

Blue Is the Warmest Colour (France)

The Great Beauty (Italy)

The Hunt (Denmark)

The Wind Rises (Japan)

TELEVISION

Best series, drama

Breaking Bad

Downton Abbey

The Good Wife

House Of Cards

Masters Of Sex

Best actress, drama series

Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black

Taylor Schilling, Orange Is The New Black

Kerry Washington, Scandal

Robin Wright, House Of Cards

Best actor, drama series

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan

Michael Sheen, Masters of Sex

Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

James Spader, The Blacklist

Best series, comedy or musical

The Big Bang Theory

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Girls

Modern Family

Parks & Recreation

Best actress, comedy or musical series

Zooey Deschanel, New Girl

Lena Dunham, Girls

Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation

Best actor, comedy or musical series

Jason Bateman, Arrested Development

Don Cheadle, House of Lies

Michael J Fox, The Michael J Fox Show

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Best mini-series or TV movie

American Horror Story: Coven

Behind The Candelabra

Dancing on the Edge

Top of the Lake

White Queen

Best actress, mini-series or TV movie

Helena Bonham Carter, Burton and Taylor

Rebecca Ferguson, White Queen

Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven

Helen Mirren, Phil Spector

Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake

Best actor, mini-series or TV movie

Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra

Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dancing on the Edge

Idris Elba, Luther

Al Pacino, Phil Spector

Best supporting actress

Jacqueline Bisset, Dancing on the Edge

Janet McTeer, White Queen

Hayden Panettiere, Nashville

Monica Potter, Parenthood

Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Best supporting actor

Josh Charles, The Good Wife

Rob Lowe, Behind the Candelabra

Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad

Corey Stoll, House of Cards

Jon Voight, Ray Donovan