Golden Globes 2015: 'Boyhood' clinches the night's top honour, wins best drama

It's a hat trick for "Boyhood" as it clinches the night's top honor of best drama film.

"Boyhood" is the only movie to win three Golden Globes this year, putting it in pole position for Oscar glory when the Academy Awards roll around on February 22.

"Boyhood," directed by Richard Linklater, follows the life of one boy, played by sensitive newcomer Ellar Coltrane. It was filmed over 12 years, a much-acclaimed feat that provides a unique perspective on the evolution of a family. The film also stars Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette. Arquette and Linklater also won Globes Sunday night.

His project, a tale about the friendship between a concierge and a lobby boy in a grand hotel in a fictional Central European country between the world wars, was nominated for four Golden Globes.

"I'm not going to spend many of my few seconds up here thanking people like Stephen and Scott and Jim and Nancy, Jeremy and Bill, Roman and Jason, Adrian and Jim and Rich and especially Polly," said Anderson, who went on to express appreciation to the Hollywood foreign press.

It's his first Golden Globe laurel, after Keaton -- who portrays a washed-up actor struggling to rebuild his career with a Broadway play -- was nominated in 2003 for "Live from Baghdad."

"The reason that people go on about thanking so many people is there are always so many people to thank," he said, as the show runs about 10 minutes behind schedule.

To director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, he said: "Thank you for letting me be part of this unbelievably gutsy, unapologetic look at human nature. Thanks it's been a ride."

She recalled being nominated several years ago during the Hollywood writers' strike, for a British TV adaptation of Jane Eyre, and the disappointment she felt when she lost.

Not this time. "To the writers, for writing one of the most complex and, shall we say, depressed characters i've ever played... thank you," the English-born actress said.

"This is a very personal film for me, but it became very personal to everybody who worked on it," he said, honoring the 450 members of the cast and crew who stuck with the project over the years.

Linklater dedicated his Golden Globe to his parents, and to all families that are "just passing through this world and doing their best... Bottom line is, we're all flawed in this world. No one's perfect."

"For the record, if you are in this room, you caught the brass ring," he told his fellow thespians. "You get to do what you always dreamed to do, and be celebrated for it. That ain't losing."

"I've had a pretty good year myself," he added. "It's a humbling thing when you find someone you love... Amal, whatever alchemy it is that brought us together, I couldn't be more proud to be your husband."

On the millions who turned out to demonstrate in Paris and around the world, Clooney called Sunday "an extraordinary day" in which Christians, Jews and Muslims "didn't march in protest; they marched in support of the idea that we will not walk in fear."

"We won't do it. So, 'Je suis Charlie.' Thank you."

"This is just the beginning of my revenge," says Spacey, channeling his character Frank Underwood, before thanking Netflix "for their incredible support."

Spacey, nominated for the same role at last year's Golden Globes, made it clear he would not rest on his laurels.

"As I stand here tonight, as someone who has enjoyed such an extraordinary career, and in large measure because of the people in this room, I just want it to be better," he said of his craft.

"But this is very encouraging. Thank you very much."

Season three of "House of Cards" drops on February 27.

An 'Honorable' win for Maggie Gyllenhaal - Maggie Gyllenhaal collects the Golden Globe for best actress in a miniseries or TV movie for "The Honorable Woman," set amid the complexities of the Middle East.

"I gave my speech to my brother so if I need help he's going to bring it up to me," she says, referring to Jake Gyllenhaal, who's up tonight for best actor in a drama for "Nightcrawler."

Gyllenhaal takes her turn praising the growing number of good roles for women on both the big and small screen.

"When I look around the room at the women who are in here, and I think about the performances that I have watched this year, what I see actually are women who are sometimes powerful and sometimes not, sometimes sexy, sometimes not, sometimes honorable, sometimes not.

"And what I think is new is the wealth of roles for actual women in television and in film," she said, prompting a strong round of applause from fellow thespians who clearly fully agree.

02:46 GMT - Russian drama wins best foreign film - "Leviathan," a drama set in a Russian coastal town haunted by a corrupt mayor, wins the Golden Globe for best foreign language film.

Five films were in the running for the honor, four of them from Europe.

02:41 GMT - Another win for 'Transparent' - It's a second Golden Globe for "Transparent" as Jeffrey Tambor wins best actor in a TV comedy or musical.

"This is big, much bigger than me," the journeyman actor says, visibly moved by the honor, which he dedicates to the transgender community.

"Thank you, thank you, thanks for your courage... your inspiration... your patience... and for letting us be part of the change," he says.

Tambor, an expert in off-the-wall characters, has been in dozens of film and television productions over the years, but this is his first major award.

02:27 GMT - 'Birdman' in screenplay win - "Birdman" swoops up its first Golden Globe win of the night, for best screenplay.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, co-writers of the black comedy directed by Inarritu, gathered on stage to collect the honor.

"How did we end up here?" says Inarritu. "Everything was about that eagle guy and really, that voice was getting us crazy while we were doing this script."

02:26 GMT - Patricia Arquette wins for 'Boyhood' - Patricia Arquette wins best supporting actress in a motion picture for her performance in "Boyhood," the first Golden Globe for one of the most hotly-tipped projects of the evening.

"Many thanks to our visionary director Richard Linklater for allowing me to be a part of something so human, so simple and ground-breaking and significant in the history of cinema," she says.

Linklater broke cinematic convention by making his coming-of-age drama over a period of a dozen years.

"You placed in my hands the part of Olivia, an under-appreciated single mother," said Arquette, cradling the first Golden Globe of her career.

"Thank you for shining a light on this woman and the millions of women like her and for allowing me to honor my own mother with this beautiful character."

02:13 GMT - A 'Dragon' snags its first Globe - "How to Train Your Dragon 2" wins its first Golden Globe for best animated feature film, with writer-director Dean DeBlois coming up on stage to collect the honor.

02:05 GMT - Amy Adams wins for 'Big Eyes' - And the Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy or musical film goes to Amy Adams for director Tim Burton's "Big Eyes," about the 1950s painter Margaret Keane and the way her husband took credit for her work.

"To say I am ill-prepared for this moment is a huge understatement. I feel so fortunate to be here," she says, before saluting her fellow female thespians as role models for herself and her four-year-old daughter.

"It's just so wonderful that women today have such a strong voice. I'm so grateful for all you women in this room," she says.

Adams won the same honor last year for her starring role in "American Hustle."

02:03 GMT - A Bomer win for 'Normal Heart' - Matt Bomer picks up the Golden Globe for best supporting actor in a TV series for his performance on HBO's "The Normal Heart."

Based on an autographical Broadway play by Larry Kramer, the program casts a light back on the AIDS crisis as it gripped New York in the early 1980s.

02:00 GMT - Music wins for 'Selma' and 'Theory of Everything' - And the Golden Globe for best original score goes to "Glory," from the historical civil rights film "Selma," written by Common and John Legend.

"'Selma' has awakened my humanity," says Common, whose remarks include a reference to last year's deaths of unarmed African-Americans by white police officers in New York and Ferguson, Missouri.

Winning for best original score was "The Theory of Everything" for Icelandic composer and first-time nominee Johann Johannsson.

"When you're given material like 'The Theory of Everything' to work with, it feels like my job is very easy," he says.

01:45 GMT - Speaking up for free speech - There's a robust standing ovation at the Golden Globes for a strong message from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association about freedom of speech and expression, AFP's Michael Thurston reports.

"Together we will stand united against anyone who will repress free speech, anywhere, from North Korea to Paris," said HFPA president Theo Kingma, bringing the applauding audience to its feet.

His bold remarks are a break from tradition, when the HFPA's leadership typically makes a few anodyne remarks mid-way through the show.

01:40 GMT - 'Transparent' wins best TV comedy - It's a clear win for Amazon's streaming video comedy "Transparent." The show's creators thank the trans-gender community, especially the "too many trans people who died too young."

The win is yet another indication of how streaming online video is displacing conventional broadcast TV with fresh innovative programming.

01:40 GMT - Best actress in TV comedy - Gina Rodriguez is literally breathless as she wins the Golden Globe for best actress in a TV comedy for "Jane the Virgin."

It's a huge win for the first-time nominee who was up against such big names as Lena "Girls" Dunham, Julia "Veep" Louis-Dreyfus and Taylor Schilling from "Orange is the New Black."

01:34 GMT - Poking at North Korea - Another poke at North Korea as Fey and Poehler introduce the latest "member" of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, an unsmiling North Korean "army general" representing "Movies Wow!" magazine. She gets her wish to be photographed with an obliging Meryl Streep.

01:29 GMT - Best actor in a miniseries or TV movie - A second win for "Fargo" as Billy Bob Thornton collects the Golden Globe for best actor in a miniseries or TV movie.

"These days, you get into a lot of trouble no matter what you say, know what I mean?" the multi-talented 59-year-old actor says. "So I'm just going to say, 'Thank you'."

It's his first Golden Globes award, after four nominations for motion picture roles since 1998.

01:25 GMT - Best miniseries or TV movie - And the Golden Globe for best miniseries or TV movie goes to "Fargo," the comedy-crime drama inspired by the 1996 Coen brothers movie of the same name.

01:15 GMT - Best supporting TV actress - Joanne Froggatt wins for best actress in a supporting role on television for her performance in the wildly popular British period drama "Downton Abbey."

"This is the most shocking moment of my life," she says, before expressing a fan-like admiration for fellow nominee Kathy Bates.

"Downtown Abbey," which just started its fourth season on US public television, won a Golden Globe for best miniseries in its first season, and Maggie Smith won the best supporting actress honor for season two.

01:09 GMT - Best supporting actor in a motion picture - First award of the night is best supporting actor in a motion picture. And the winner is ... J.K. Simmons for "Whiplash."

"I have a long list of people to thank and no time to thank them all," he says, clutching his trophy, but he still manages to get a few thanks in anyway, including his wife, children, "mom and dad."

01:09 GMT - A quip for the Clooneys - Fey and Poehler rattle off the impressive CV of George Clooney's bride Amal Ramzi Clooney, before adding: "So tonight her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award." Laughter ricochets around the ballroom.

01:04 GMT - Let the show begin ... - And the Golden Globes awards show is underway, with Fey and Poehler warming up the crowd with North Korea jokes after the Sony hack over "The Interview."

01:01 GMT - Fashion update - Update from AFP's Susan Stumme: Hollywood's A-listers hit the Golden Globes red carpet in plenty of bling and sequins, with some stars also expressing support for victims of the Paris attacks.

George and Amal Clooney, Helen Mirren, Kathy Bates and Diane Kruger were among those who brandished signs or wore pins reading "Je Suis Charlie."

Amal Clooney, elegant in a black Dior couture gown with a "Je suis Charlie" pin on her clutch bag, said she had chosen something from the fashion house "in solidarity with the French."

"Gone Girl" star Rosamund Pike -- who had a baby just over a month ago -- was among the first to arrive, sporting a sleeveless cleavage-baring ivory Vera Wang gown with waist cut-outs.

Julianne Moore glittered in a shimmering silver Givenchy gown, which trailed to the floor in a cloud of black feathers.

Emily Blunt admitted her halter white Michael Kors dress with an intricate criss-cross bodice was "a bit soggy at the bottom."

Amy Adams rocked the old-school Hollywood look in a demure one-shoulder Versace gown with a train, her red hair in flowing waves.

Also in Versace was Jessica Chastain. Her bronze gown with a plunging neckline left little to the imagination.

Hollywood's men did not disappoint, with Eddie Redmayne in a blue velvet tuxedo and "Birdman" star Michael Keaton rocking a more classic look.

00:43 GMT - Ratings game - Fun fact: Last year's three-hour awards ceremony pulled 20.9 million US television viewers for NBC, making it the most-watched Golden Globes in a decade.

00:36 GMT - Wide open for TV - In the TV categories, critics see a free-for-all now that the phenomenal "Breaking Bad" is no longer on the air, in the running and dominating the landscape. Victory for "House of Cards" for best drama series and "Orange is the New Black" would be sweet for Netflix as on-demand video streaming throws mainstream network television for a loop.

00:24 GMT - Kathy waves for Charlie - Still on the red carpet, Kathy Bates arrives waving a smartphone with a "Je suis Charlie" screen saver. She's nominated for best actress in a supporting role on television for "American Horror Story: Freak Show."

Actress Helen Mirren walks the red carpet with a pen pinned to her red dress, in another show of solidarity for the victims of attacks in France. She is nominated for best actress in a musical or comedy for "The Hundred-Foot Journey."

00:11 GMT - Solidarity with Charlie Hebdo - The immensely influentual Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is hoping that tonight's awards ceremony will take a moment to voice solidarity with the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

"I hope we can all raise glasses and that someone like Tina, Amy or George Clooney will urge us to toast with 300 million viewers around the world: "Je suis Charlie, je suis juif, je suis Ahmed," he writes on Variety's website.

He also says: "Charlie Hebdo is a reminder of the beauty of art and the beauty of language. No one can ever defeat the ability of great artists to show us our world."

23:59 GMT - Who's wearing who - AFP's Susan Stumme is keeping tabs on who's wearing who on the red carpet. They include:

-- Lena Dunham in a red gown by her friend and 'former babysitter' Zac Posen.

-- Lorde, a nominee for the "Hunger Games" soundtrack, in Narciso Rodriguez suit with midriff-baring top and a huge diamond necklace.

-- Amy Adams looking glam in a powder blue/periwinkle one-shoulder Versace and hair in old-school Hollywood waves.

-- "Gone Girl" nominee Rosamund Pike was one of the first to arrive, wearing a cleavage-baring ivory Vera Wang outfit.

23:50 GMT - Comediennes' swan song - It's the third time that "Saturday Night Live" alums Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host the ceremony at the Beverly Hilton hotel. It will also be the last.

"We signed up to do it three times and this is the third one ... because that's plenty," Fey told US and Canadian TV critics this past week.

On the red carpet, the duo told E! television's Ryan Seacrest to expect 50 costume changes "and 10 emotional changes."

Poehler also hinted at the possibility of pushing the comedy envelope as never before. And what if they go too far? "What are they going to do?" she replied jokingly. "Fire us?"

23:41 GMT - Poolside sniper - AFP's West Coast bureau chief Michael Thurston reports from the red carpet:

"Security is tight, with at least one sniper position set up behind the swimming pool of the Beverly Hilton. It's unclear if there's any connection with this week's attacks in Paris.

"Unusually rainy weather in recent days has turned a production area behind the hotel into a field of mud. Clouds have been hanging low over the red carpet, although mercifully the rain has so far held off."

23:33 GMT - Tonight's presenters - The list of presenters is a veritable Who's Who of past Golden Globe winners and nominees. They include Amy Adams, Adrien Brody, Robert Downey Jr., Anna Faris, Ricky Gervais, Kevin Hart, Salma Hayek, Kate Hudson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Pratt, Lily Tomlin, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

23:32 GMT - Tipped to win - "Boyhood" and "Birdman" are the favorites to collect best-picture honors in the drama and musical or comedy categories respectively.

23:24 GMT - Welcome to the Golden Globes - Good evening and welcome to AFP's Live Report from the 72nd Golden Globes. Stay with us as AFP reporters and photographers cover all the action as it unfolds in the grand ballroom of the Beverly Hilton hotel.