Chiwetel Ejiofor (left) and Michael Fassbender in 12 Years a Slave.

Slavery drama 12 Years a Slave and 1970s con-artist caper American Hustle led the Golden Globe Awards nominations announced yesterday with seven nods each, fortifying their front-runner positions before the Oscars.

In the coveted best drama category, 12 Years a Slave will compete against piracy tale Captain Phillips, space thriller Gravity, adoption drama Philomena, and race-car rivalry Rush.

American Hustle was nomin-ated for best comedy or musical, alongside computer-age romance Her, folk singer tale Inside Llewyn Davis, heartland ode Nebraska and financial tale The Wolf of Wall Street.

12 Years a Slave, a real-life story about a free black man sold into slavery, has been a top contender for awards since winning at the Toronto International Film Festival. On Wednesday it won the most nominations for acting awards from the Screen Actors Guild, with four nods.

Nebraska won five Golden Globe nominations overall, including best actor in a comedy or musical, for veteran actor

Bruce Dern. Captain Phillips and Gravity each secured four nominations.

Civil rights drama Lee Daniels’ The Butler, which earned three SAG acting nods, received no nominations for the Golden Globe.

The Golden Globes, organised by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, will be handed out on January 12 in Beverly Hills. They are one of the biggest ceremonies in the Hollywood awards season leading up to the Oscars in March.

Nominees in main categories

Best drama
12 Years a Slave
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Philomena
Rush

Best comedy or musical
American Hustle
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
The Wolf of Wall Street

Best actor, drama
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford, All is Lost

Best actress, drama
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr Banks
Kate Winslet, Labor Day

Best actor, comedy or musical
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo Di Caprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
Joaquin Phoenix, Her

Best actress, comedy or musical
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Enough Said
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Best supporting actor

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Daniel Bruhl, Rush
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Best supporting actress
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska

Best director
Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
David O. Russell, American Hustle