For many, the Golden Globes are the people’s Oscars

With two Best Picture categories, drama and comedy/musical, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association seems to always nominate a nice mix of popular and arty films – plus it’s a really good party.

Also at the party, the TV and cable networks celebrating the best of the small screen. Like we said, party party.

It’s been a good year for movies, from “Crazy Rich Asians” to “A Star is Born” to “If Beale Street Could Talk,” the choice for nominees, announced on Dec. 6, run the gamut from frothy fun to socially serious.

And likely by Dec. 7, several of SBR’s top-rated sportsbooks to have wagers posted so you can make your picks and hopefully make a few bucks for your next trip to the movie house.

Consensus among leading entertainment writers and publications is that “A Star is Born” is the movie to beat.  – whichever movie category it falls into. Film producers would like it to be considered as a drama, not a musical, but the HFPA, will make the final call. For the sake of this article, we’ll say it’s a drama.

Our predictions for nominees in leading categories:

Best Motion Picture Drama: “A Star is Born,” “If Beale Street Could Talk,” “First Man,” “Mary Queen of Scots” and Widows”

This is a strong category and we’re leaving a lot on the cutting room floor, notably “Boy, Erased” and “Beautiful Boy” but “A Star is Born” remains the frontrunner.

Best Motion Picture Comedy/Musical: “Green Book,” “Vice,” “BlacKkKlansman,” “The Favourite,” and “Mary Poppins Returns.”

A competitive category with “Green Book” having the edge having just won Best Film from the National Board of Review.

Best Actress – Drama: Lady Gaga (“A Star is Born”), Saoirse Ronan (“Mary Queen of Scots”), KiKi Layne (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), Viola Davis (“Widows”) and Glenn Close (“The Wife”)

Some say this is Close’s year, but never count out shiny new actress, Lady Gaga.

Best Actress-Comedy or Musical: Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”), Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me”), Emily Blunt (“Mary Poppins Returns”), Constance Wu (“Crazy Rich Asians”), Charlize Theron (“Tully”)

A head-spinning category chockfull of talent. And you may not know Colman, but she could win.

Best Actor – Drama: Bradley Cooper (“A Star is Born”), Ryan Gosling (“First Man”), Stephan James (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”), Steve Carell (“Beautiful Boy”)

It was thought Gosling had this category wrapped up – until the movie came out. And by movie, we mean “A Star is Born.”

Best Actor-Comedy or Musical: Christian Bale (“Vice”), Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”), John David Washington, (“BlacKkKlansman”), Robert Redford (‘The Old Man and the Gun”), Viggo Mortensen (“Green Book”)

Bale is unrecognizable as Vice President Dick Cheney and Mortensen is stellar. Don’t make us pick, please!

In the television categories, The Golden Globes tends to pick the newest and brightest show on the block. We’ll see if that a trend sticks.

Drama Series: “Killing Eve,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Americans,” “Homecoming,” “Pose”

Look at all that new blood when “Game of Thrones” and “Stranger Things” are in an off-year. In its final season, all things lean toward “The Americans” but don’t count out “Killing Eve.”

TV Drama Actor: Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”), Kevin Costner (“Yellowstone”), Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”), Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”), John Krasinski (“Jack Ryan”)

Brown won’t repeat, making room for his castmate Ventimiglia to take the award – unless that stealthy spy Rhy sneaks in.

TV Drama Actress: Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve”), Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), Julia Roberts (“Homecoming”), Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”), Robin Wright (“House of Cards”)

Oh was brilliant as a copper on the trail of assassin played by Comer. Can we split it and give it to both?

Comedy Series: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Barry,” “Atlanta,” “The Good Place,” “GLOW”

We like “Barry” a lot but think the FHPA is very enamored with  “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

TV Comedy Actor: Bill Hader (“Barry”), Donald Glover (“Atlanta”), Jim Carrey, (“Kidding”) Ted Danson (“The Good Place”) Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”)

Did we mention we liked Bill Hader AS “Barry”? And never count out previous winner Glover with the added bonus of Carrey!

TV Comedy Actress: Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Alison Brie (“GLOW”), Maya Rudolph (“Forever’), Jennifer Garner (“Camping”), Issa Rae (“Insecure”)

That this a smorgasbord of funny women. You pick, we just can’t!

Don’t forget to tune into The Golden Globes on NBC on Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. to see who wins.