The unveiling of Golden Globes nominees began Monday in a ceremony marking the start of Hollywood's annual awards season that culminates with the Oscars.

The announcements will see the stars and movies destined for awards success start to break away from the competition -- the Globes are seen as a key bellwether for February's Academy Awards.

Actress Dakota Fanning (L) and Susan Kelechi Watson attend the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards nominations announcement at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills on December 9, 2019
Actress Dakota Fanning (L) and Susan Kelechi Watson attend the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards nominations announcement at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills on December 9, 2019 AFP / Robyn BECK

Netflix is expected to have two frontrunners in "The Irishman," Martin Scorsese's three-and-a-half-hour gangster epic, and "Marriage Story," the heartwrenching divorce saga starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver.

Awards tracking site Gold Derby predicts strong competition from "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," Quentin Tarantino's nostalgic love letter to 1960s Tinseltown, and Nazi satire "Jojo Rabbit," also starring Johansson.

The 77th Golden Globes, which also honor television, will take place in Beverly Hills on January 5, two days before voting for Oscars nominees ends.