'La La Land' expected to shine at 74th Golden Globes

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (FOX 11 / CNS) - The musical romp ``La La Land" proved to be an awards-season darling tonight, collecting four early Golden Globes tonight on what appeared to be developing into a dominating night at the Beverly Hilton.

Ryan Gosling won his first Globe in five career nominations for his singing-and-dancing role in the film.

``This isn't the first time I've been mistaken for (fellow nominee) Ryan Reynolds, but it's getting out of hand," he joked as he accepted the award, which he said he would share with writer/director Damien Chazelle and co-star Emma Stone.

``This belongs to the three of us," the 36-year-old actor said. ``I'll chop it into three pieces if you want."

Damien Chazelle, who is also nominated for best director, won for best original screenplay for the film.

Justin Hurwitz won for best original score for ``La La Land" and best original song for the movie's tune ``City of Stars."

Viola Davis won her first career Golden Globe for her work opposite Denzel Washington in ``Fences," the story of a working-class 1950s black family struggling to make ends meet.

``To all the people who believed in this piece of work -- it's not every day that Hollywood thinks of translating a play to screen," she said. ``It doesn't scream moneymaker. But it does scream art."

She gave special thanks to Washington, who also directed the film.

``Thank you for saying `Trust me and remember the love,' " she said.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson won the award for best supporting actor for his role as West Texas hoodlum Ray Marcus in the film noir ``Nocturnal Animals." It was the first Globe win for the 26-year-old British actor.

``I want to thank my wife for being with me and supporting me through this," he said. ``Thank you for putting up with me. I was not very pleasant in this role."

The award for best animated film went to ``Zootopia."

On the television side of the awards, Billy Bob Thornton, 61, was named best actor in a television drama for his portrayal of ambulance-chasing lawyer Billy McBride in Amazon's ``Goliath."

Thornton joked with his fellow nominee, Bob Odenkirk, who also plays a sleazy lawyer on ``Better Call Saul," saying the two have had a feud since co-starring in a film in the 1940s. But Thornton thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, noting that there was a host of talented nomninees, and ``this is not track and field, so you don't break a tape and actually win. This is up to people's opinion."

The award for best comedy went to the upstart FX series ``Atlanta,'' created by Donald Glover and telling the story of two cousins struggling to make it as rap artists. Glover hailed his fellow cast and crew members, but gave kudos to his native Atlanta, which provides the backdrop for the series.

``I really want to thank Atlanta and all the black folks in Atlanta for really, just for being alive and ... being amazing people," Glover said. ``I couldn't be here without Atlanta."

Tracee Ellis Ross, 44, won her first career Globe for her lead role in ABC's ``black-ish."

``It's my first time here, guys. It's a nice room, I like it," she told the crowd while accepting the best television comedy actress award. She dedicated the honor to ``all of the women of color ... whose stories, ideas and thoughts are not always considered worthy."

``It is an honor to be on this show to continue expanding the way we are seen and known," she said.

The acclaimed mini-series ``The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" won the Globe for best limited series or made-for-television movie, while Sarah Paulson won a best actress prize for her work in the series, portraying prosecutor Marcia Clark.

Hugh Laurie took the prize for best supporting limited series actor for his role as an arms dealer in AMC's ``The Night Manager," based on the novel by John le Carre. Laurie got some nervous laughs for joking that it might be the final Golden Globes ceremony, referencing the incoming Republican presidential administration and the fact the awards show ``has the words, Hollywood, foreign and press in the title."

Olivia Colman won for best supporting limited series actress for her work in ``The Night Manager" for her portrayal of an intelligence operative.

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