Golden Globes Should Provide Traction In Oscar race

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -- Without a runaway favorite for this year's top Academy Award, a handful of key contenders are looking to Sunday night's 73rd annual Golden Globes for a little traction on the road to the Oscars.

Among the nominees with the most to gain from a best-picture win when the Globes are handed out in Beverly Hills, California, are `'Mad Max: Fury Road," `'The Revenant," `'Spotlight," "The Big Short" and `'The Martian."

Conspicuously absent from this year's Globes nominees is "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which on Wednesday, became the highest-grossing movie of all time in North America.

Returning for a fourth stint as Globes host after a three-year break is caustic comic Ricky Gervais. Presenters will include Tom Hanks, Helen Mirren, Michael Keaton, Lady Gaga, Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Lopez.

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