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Five takeaways from Golden Globe picks


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A day after the Screen Actors Guild unveiled its awards nominations, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has weighed in with its picks for the 2015 Golden Globes.

Five takeaways from this morning's nominations:

1. The leaders of the pack are already clear.

The same films that headed the SAG nominations also dominated the Golden Globes, including the leader, Birdman, with seven nominations. It's up for best picture (comedy or musical), director (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu), actor (Michael Keaton), supporting actor (Edward Norton) and supporting actress (Emma Stone).

Boyhood kept close behind with five nominations, including two for Richard Linklater (director and screenplay), best picture (drama), actor Ethan Hawke and actress Patricia Arquette.

The Imitation Game tied for second place with five nominations as well, including best picture (drama), actor Benedict Cumberbatch and supporting actress Keira Knightley.

"All three have performed well in both awards-show nominations, showing wide industry support," says Tom O'Neil of the awards website GoldDerby.com. "This makes them front-runners for the Oscars."

2. Selma is marching in.

A day after getting shut out of the SAGs (the movie wasn't finished in time to get screeners to voters), Selma received four key Globes nominations, including best picture (drama), actor David Oyelowo (as Martin Luther King Jr.), director Ava DuVernay and original song (Glory, John Legend and Common). DuVernay earned a spot in history as the first black woman director to be nominated for a Golden Globe.

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While the SAGs were criticized for lacking actors of color in the film categories, the Globes did better. Eleven-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis was a surprise best-actress entry in the title role of the musical Annie.

3. Jennifer and Jake are for real.

Jennifer Aniston made waves when she was nominated for a SAG Award for her unglam role in the drama Cake, as a member of a suicide support group. That bid for awards glory proved real when she received a Globes actress nomination.

In an even more physically transforming role, Jake Gyllenhaal received an actor nod as a coyote-looking cameraman in the noir film Nightcrawler. The role earned a SAG nomination for Gyllenhaal as well.

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4. Bill Murray, Grand Budapest Hotel are hot properties.

With its spring release, there was some question about the viability of Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel. But with the multi-category format of the Globes, Budapest flourished with four nominations, including director and screenplay for Wes Anderson, picture (comedy or musical) and actor for Ralph Fiennes.

Bill Murray was shut out of the SAGs for St. Vincent, but stepped up to receive a best actor nomination for his cantankerous role. St. Vincent also received a picture (comedy) nomination. Additionally, Murray was nominated for his supporting role in HBO's Olive Kitteridge.

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5. Brangelina snub

The usual big-star friendly HFPA failed to honor the biggest celebrity couple on the planet. Angelina Jolie went unnoticed for her starring role in Maleficent and her directing duties on Unbroken. Nor was Brad Pitt nominated for his starring role in Fury (though he is a producer on Selma).

"It's a completely surprising slap," says O'Neil.

The 72nd annual Golden Globes air Jan. 11 on NBC (8 p.m. ET/5 PT).