The 2011 Golden Globe Awards are set to provide a definitive picture of who will be the front-runners for Oscars glory next month. Naturally, Australian fans will be concentrating closely on the Best Supporting Actress category, in which Jacki Weaver has been nominated for her acclaimed performance as an intimidating crime matriarch in Animal Kingdom.

Unfortunately, Weaver is considered an outsider by a majority of awards pundits, who believe that The Fighter’s Melissa Leo and The King Speech’s Helena Bonham Carter will win the support of most Golden Globe voters.

Similarly, the chances of a win look remote for the remainder of the Australian Golden Globe nominees: Nicole Kidman (Best Actress in a Drama for Rabbit Hole), Geoffrey Rush (Best Supporting Actor, The King’s Speech) and Toni Collette (Best Actress in a TV Comedy or Musical for United States of Tara)

The Best Motion Picture Drama category at the Globes has proven to be a key indicator to Oscars’ success over the past decade.

Through the current awards season, the spoils have been largely shared by The Social Network and The King’s Speech. Should either of these titles prevail on Monday, an Academy Award win will look all but guaranteed.

TV coverage of the 2011 Golden Globe Awards kicks off with a red carpet special on Fox8 at 11am followed by the full ceremony from midday.

2011 GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEES AND PREDICTIONS:

Best Motion Picture, Drama

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network

Prediction: The Social Network. To win against this accomplished line-up, being a good film is not enough. Luckily, The Social Network, the true story of the meteoric rise of Facebook, is a great film. Took a risky subject and made it the safest bet imaginable. A likely win here makes an Oscars triumph a mere formality.

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque
The Kids Are All Right
Red
The Tourist

Prediction: The Kids Are All Right. 2010 was not exactly a classic year at the lighter end of the movie spectrum. Therefore the expertly acted and exceptionally well-written The Kids Are All Right is the only logical contender. An edgy crowd-pleaser sure to be influential upon several films in years to come.

Best Director - Motion Picture

Darren Aronofsky -  Black Swan
David Fincher - The Social Network
Tom Hooper - The King's Speech
Christopher Nolan  - Inception
David O. Russell  - The Fighter

Prediction: David Fincher. A very deserving winner, even if this category traditionally goes the way of those who steered the Best Motion Picture Drama winner. Fincher’s probing mind and clinical efficiency behind the camera both simplified and enhanced a complicated real-life tale.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
Colin Firth - The King's Speech
James Franco - 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling - Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg - The Fighter

Prediction: Colin Firth. A brilliant effort as the stammering British monarch King George VI puts Firth way out front of this field. All over the world, audiences have been spontaneously breaking into applause at the completion of the actor’s signature scene, a moving radio broadcast that heralds the onset of World War II.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

Halle Berry - Frankie and Alice
Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence -  - Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine

Prediction: Natalie Portman. Already a raging favourite for the Best Actress Oscar, Portman looks unbeatable. Indeed, her depiction of a dysfunctional ballerina channels a searing, unsettling power that shocks audiences into submission. Portman’s rivals here are no slouches, either.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy

Johnny Depp - Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp - The Tourist
Paul Giamatti - Barney's Version
Jake Gyllenhaal - Love and Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey - Casino Jack

Prediction: Johnny Depp. For his enjoyable portrayal of The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. It was not Depp’s finest hour (nor was The Tourist), but should be enough to see off his rivals from lower-profile productions here. However, Giamatti could be the dark horse - bookies are reporting a consistent flow of wagers this week.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy

Anne Hathaway - Love and Other Drugs
Julianne Moore - The Kids Are All Right
Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right
Emma Stone - Easy A
Angelina Jolie - The Tourist

Prediction: Annette Bening. This is an incredibly weak field, with Bening’s co-star Moore the only conceivable threat. However, Bening’s nuanced display - funny, dramatic, commanding and helpless all at once - is acting of the highest class. Should be a factor come Oscars time as well.

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Christian Bale - The Fighter
Michael Douglas  - Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Andrew Garfield - The Social Network
Jeremy Renner - The Town
Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech

Prediction: Christian Bale. Arguably the finest "method" actor of his generation, Bale is all presence all the time playing a crack-addicted pug. A faultless display sure to be noticed by voters. In any other year, Geoffrey Rush’s superb effort in The King’s Speech would be a clear favourite.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Amy Adams - The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech
Mila Kunis - Black Swan
Melissa Leo - The Fighter
Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom

Prediction: Melissa Leo. Though hardly a household name, this widely-respected performer (a recent Best Actress Oscar nominee for Frozen River) is always at the top of her game wherever she appears. Leo’s portrayal of a mother of nine who also serves as a pro boxing manager for two of her sons is nothing short of incredible.

OTHER CATEGORIES WORTH WATCHING

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture: The Social Network

Best Animated Feature Film: Toy Story 3

Best Foreign Language Film: Biutiful

Best TV Series Drama: Boardwalk Empire

Best TV Series Comedy Or Musical: Modern Family

Best actor in a TV drama series: Jon Hamm (Mad Men)

Best actress in a TV drama series: Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)

Best actor in a TV comedy or musical series: Steve Carell (The Office)

Best actress in a TV comedy or musical series: Laura Linney (The Big C)