Eight British Actors Nominated for Awards

Eight British actors are hoping to follow in the unlikely footsteps of a Slough office manager after being nominated for Golden Globe awards. Ricky Gervais proved to be the British star of the last ceremony, scooping best comedy actor and best comedy show for The Office.

Spearheading this year's offensive are Imelda Staunton, Joely Richardson and Kate Winslet. Staunton is up for the best actress title for her performance as a back-street abortionist in the Mike Leigh film Vera Drake, Winslet has been nominated for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Richardson has a best actress nomination in the TV category for her role in the US drama Nip/Tuck.

But probably the favourites for the best film award are the US movies Sideways, a tale of two men looking for love in the valleys of California's wine country which has seven nominations, and The Aviator, a biography of the young Howard Hughes, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, which has six.

Don Cheadle's role in Rwanda and Liam Neeson's in Kinsey have put both men on the best actor shortlist.

Leading the field, though, is Jamie Foxx. The actor has been nominated in three groups: best performance in a film musical for Ray, a biopic of the late Ray Charles, best supporting actor for Collateral, and best performance in a mini-series for the made-for-TV movie Redemption.

Other British nominees include Clive Owen for his part in Patrick Marber's Closer, and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera for best musical or comedy film.

The TV nominations include Ian McShane for Deadwood, Miranda Richardson for the BBC drama The Lost Prince, Patrick Stewart for The Lion in Winter and Emily Watson for The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.