Golden Globe nominations 2011

The King spoke, and the Golden Globes heard him.

"The King's Speech," the British drama about King George VI's battle to defeat a stuttering problem on the eve of announcing England's war with Germany, reigned over the nominations for the 68th annual Golden Globes, announced this morning in Los Angeles, with seven spots, including Best Picture.

Star Colin Firth nabbed a Best Actor in a Drama spot for his role as George VI, while Geoffrey Rush secured a Best Supporting Actor spot for playing HRH's unorthodox speech therapist and Helena Bonham Carter — as a stern, supportive Elizabeth, the queen mother — was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

Director Tom Hooper and screenwriter David Seidler were also tapped, as was the movie's score.

"The Social Network" and "The Fighter" followed with six nominations each.

The coronation of "King's Speech" as the movie to beat when the Hollywood Foreign Press Association hands out their awards on Jan. 16 makes this year's awards season even more of a now-versus-then battle.

"Social Network," the lightning-fast flick about accidental billionaire Mark Zuckerberg's creation of Facebook and the legal and societal tussles that followed, recently was named Best picture by several influential critics' groups, including the New York Film Critics Circle. It's nominations include Best Picture — drama, Best Director (David Fincher), Best Screenplay (Aaron Sorkin), Best Actor — drama (Jesse Eisenberg), Best Supporting Actor (Andrew Garfield) and Best Score.

"The Fighter," meanwhile, is a tough-minded drama about drugs and boxing in Boston circa 1993, and earned nods for Best Picture — drama, Best Actor — Drama (Mark Wahlberg), Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams and Melissa Leo), Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale) and director (David O. Russell).

Russell and Fincher's kinetic style — in your face, and fast as Facebook — runs counter to the old-fashioned stateliness of "The King's Speech." As the Globes are often seen as a precursor to the Oscar race — this year's Academy Awards are to be handed out Feb. 27 — the lines seem to be clearly drawn.

Meanwhile, on the TV side, everything is "Glee"-ful. The musical-comedy about high school tunesters earned five Globe nominations, including Best TV series (Comedy), Best Actor and Actress in a comedy (Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele) and Best Supporting Actor and Actress (Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch).

HBO's freshman epic "Boardwalk Empire" came up a winner in three sports, earning noms for Best Series — drama, Best Actor in a Drama (Steve Buscemi) and Best Supporting Actress (Kelly MacDonald).

The other nominees for Best Picture — drama are "Black Swan" and "Inception." On the Comedy or Musical side, sure winner "The Kids are All Right" faces Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland," "Burlesque," "Red" and "The Tourist."

Going up against Firth, Eisenberg and Wahlberg will be James Franco ("127 Hours") and Ryan Gosling ("Blue Valentine"). Each are tough performances, inside and out, by two of the best actors of their generation.

Gosling's costar in "Blue Valentine, Michelle Williams, earned a Best Actress- Drama spot, along with Halle Berry in the as-yet-unreleased "Frankie and Alice," Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole, Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone" and Natalie Portman in "Black Swan."

Their comedy/musical equivalents include Johnny Depp, nominated twice, for "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Tourist"; Paul Giamatti for "Barney's Version"; Jake Gyllenhaal for "Love and Other Drugs"; and Kevin Spacey for "Casino Jack."

Actresses in a comedy or musical include Annette Bening and Julianne Moore for "The Kids are All Right"; Anne Hathaway for "Love and Other Drugs"; Angelina Jolie for "The Tourist"; and Emma Stone, a surprise nominee for the teen comedy "Easy A."