The Artist Speaks Up With 6 Noms To Lead Globes

First Published: December 15, 2011 9:06 AM EST Credit: The Weinstein Company Caption Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo in Weinstein Companys The Artist, 2011BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Silent film is taking over Hollywoods awards scene. The silent-era tale The Artist heads the Golden Globes with six nominations, among them best comedy or musical and acting honors for its French stars, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo. Tied for second-place in Thursdays nominations are the 1960s racial tale The Help and George Clooneys Hawaiian family story The Descendants. Both films are up for best drama, while Clooney was nominated for best dramatic actor and The Help earned acting slots for Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain. Also competing for best drama: Martin Scorseses Paris adventure Hugo; Clooneys political thriller The Ides of March; Brad Pitts baseball chronicle Moneyball; and Steven Spielbergs World War I epic War Horse. Joining The Artist in the best musical or comedy category are: the cancer story 50/50; Kristen Wiigs wedding romp Bridesmaids; Woody Allens romantic fantasy Midnight in Paris; and Michelle Williams Marilyn Monroe tale My Week with Marilyn. Clooney has three nominations. Besides best dramatic actor for The Descendants, hes up for directing and screenplay for The Ides of March. For the acting prize, Clooney will compete against his Ides star Ryan Gosling, who had a second nomination for best musical or comedy actor for the romance Crazy, Stupid, Love. Glenn Close also is a dual contender, as best dramatic actress for the Irish drama Albert Nobbs and for best song for writing the lyrics to Lay Your Head Down, the films theme tune. Along with the Screen Actors Guild Award nominations a day earlier, the Globes field helps narrow down prospects for the Academy Awards, whose nominations come out Jan. 24. With drinks and dinner, the Globes are a laid-back affair for Hollywoods elite compared to the Oscars. The show turned a bit touchy last year as host Ricky Gervais repeatedly made sharp wisecracks about stars and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of about 85 entertainment reporters for overseas outlets that presents the Globes. But Gervais helped give the show a TV ratings boost, and hes been invited back as host for a third-straight year. Five-time Academy Award and Globe nominee Morgan Freeman - who won the supporting-actor Oscar for Million Dollar Baby and a best-actor Globe for Driving Miss Daisy - will receive the groups Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the Jan. 15 ceremony. Thursdays nominations in 25 film and television categories will be announced by actors Sofia Vergara, Woody Harrelson and Gerard Butler. Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.