LOS ANGELES (CNN) — Ben Affleck, passed over a best director Oscar nomination last week, won the best director Golden Globe for “Argo” on Sunday night.
“I don’t care what the award is,” Affleck said on the stage of the 70th annual Golden Globes ceremony, which launched Hollywood’s 2013 awards season.
The Golden Globe for best actor in a movie — drama went to Daniel Day-Lewis for his portrayal of the 16th American president in Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln.”
“Les Miserables,” a movie base on a successful Broadway musical, was chosen best comedy or musical film.
Hugh Jackman won the Globe for best actor in a movie comedy or musical for “Les Miserables,” which he said was “a project of passion and it took a lot of courage to make it.”
Anne Hathaway, who played Fantine in “Les Miserables,” won for best supporting actress in a movie. It was a role she saw her mother perform onstage when she was a child.
Hathaway thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association “for this lovely blunt object, that I will forever use as a weapon against my self-doubt.”
Jessica Chastain, who played a CIA analyst in “Zero Dark Thirty,” won best actress in a drama movie. “This is a sweet dream come true,” Chastain said in her acceptance speech.
Quentin Tarantino defended the frequent use of the N-word in “Django Unchained” after he won for best movie screenplay.
Tarantino, whose movie is up for best drama movie, used the controversial N-word backstage, explaining that critics were not accusing him of using it “more than it was used in the South in 1858,” when his film is set. Instead, they were “saying I should soften it. … and I never do that when it comes to my characters.”
Christoph Waltz was awarded the Globe for best supporting actor in a movie for his role in Tarantino’s “Django Unchained.”
“Quentin, you know that my indebtedness to you knows no words,” Waltz said in his acceptance speech.
Waltz also won a Globe and an Oscar two years ago for his portrayal of a German colonel in Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds.”
This year’s Golden Globes show was hosted by NBC sitcom stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Their onstage humor was less brutal toward the celebrities than in the past three years when British comedian Ricky Gervais turned the show into a roast.
Poehler joked that Gervais proved that “when you run afoul of the Hollywood Foreign Press, they make you host the show two more times.”
Poehler’s best one-liner, based on the loud audience laughter, targeted Kathryn Bigelow, director of best movie nominee “Zero Dark Thirty,” which is controversial because of its portrayal of the torture of terror detainees. “When it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron,” Poehler said
Adele, who has not been seen on a red carpet since she gave birth to a son in October, won the best original song in a movie award for writing and singing “Skyfall,” the title song for the latest James Bond movie.
“Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” Adele exclaimed as she was handed the award. “It’s very strange to be here. Thank you for letting me be part of your world tonight.”
She told reporters backstage that she was “a little bit over excited,” noting it was her “first night out” since giving birth.
Mychael Danna, who composed the score for best movie nominee “Life of Pi,” won for best original score in a movie.
Affleck’s “Argo” was nominated for five Globes, including best picture drama. The other contenders are Tarantino’s “Django Unchained,” Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty” and Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi.”
The best actor in a drama movie category includes Daniel Day-Lewis for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, Denzel Washington for “Flight,” Richard Gere for “Arbitrage,” John Hawkes for “The Sessions” and Joaquin Phoenix for “The Master.”
The best actress in a drama movie contender include Helen Mirren for her role as Alfred Hitchcock’s wife in “Hitchcock,” Jessica Chastain for her portrayal of a CIA analyst in “Zero Dark Thirty,” Marion Cotillard for “Rust and Bone,” Naomi Watts for “The Impossible” and Rachel Weisz for “The Deep Blue Sea.”
“Silver Linings Playbook” star Jennifer Lawrence won the best actress in a comedy or musical movie Golden Globe. “What does it say? ‘I beat Meryl!'” Lawrence said, a reference to Meryl Streep, who was also nominated for “Hope Springs.”
Globe producers brought two surprise guests to the stage. Former President Bill Clinton appeared to introduce a clip of best picture nominee “Lincoln,” which he said has lessons for how a president must lead today.
Former CIA agent Tony Mendez introduced “Argo,” which was based on his successful mission to smuggle American diplomats out of Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis.
The Austrian film “Amour” won best foreign film, presented by Sly Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Pixar film “Brave” carried home the Globe for best animated feature film.
Unlike the Oscars, the Globes also honor television with 11 awards.
HBO’s “Game Change” won three TV Globes, including for best made-for-TV miniseries or movie. Julianne Moore was given the best actress in a made-for-TV miniseries or movie award for portraying former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Ed Harris was awarded the best supporting actor Globe for his work on “Game Change.”
Kevin Costner won the Globe for best actor in a made-for-TV miniseries or movie for the History Channel’s “Hatfields & McCoys.”
Showtime’s “Homeland” claimed three Globes, including the best TV drama series trophy — for a second consecutive year. Co-stars Claire Danes and Damian Lewis won the best actress and best actor in a television drama series honors, respectively.
It is the first Globe for Lewis, who won an Emmy last fall for the same role. He dedicated the award to his late mother, who “I know is up there tonight, looking down, bursting with pride and telling everyone how well her son is doing in acting.”
The best supporting actress in a TV series, miniseries or movie award went to Maggie Smith for “Downton Abbey: Season 2.”
Lena Dunham, star of “Girls,” won for best actress in a TV comedy series.
Don Cheadle claimed the Globe for best actor in a TV comedy or musical series for “House of Lies.”
The Globes launch the award season, which includes the Screen Actors Guild awards in two weeks, followed by the Grammys two weeks later and culminates on February 24 with the Academy Awards.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which includes a group of about 85 writers affiliated with publications outside of the United States, selected the nominees and winners of the Globes.
