LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The American television audience for the 2019 Golden Globe awards fell about 2 per cent but a slew of popular movies and celebrities among the nominees helped the ceremony buck a trend that has seen much steeper declines for big entertainment events.

The 18.6 million audience for the Jan 6 event, where Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody and pop star Lady Gaga were among the winners, was down from the 19 million viewers who watched the 2018 show, broadcaster NBC said, citing Nielsen ratings data.

The three-hour live ceremony, hosted by actors Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg, was the most watched telecast in prime time, excluding news and sports, since the Oscars in March last year, NBC noted.

The small audience decline in total viewers bucked a trend that saw dips of 15 per cent or more in viewership for the Oscars and Grammy awards in 2018.

Golden Globe viewers in the 18- to 49 year-old demographic coveted by advertisers rose 4 per cent, the data showed.

The Golden Globes nominated a slew of popular and diverse movies for awards, including superhero blockbuster Black Panther, hit romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians and A Star Is Born, starring Lady Gaga in her first major role as a film actress.

Lady Gaga lost the coveted best actress trophy to veteran Glenn Close for her role in The Wife but the singer, sporting blue hair and a lavender gown, captured most of the social media buzz, according to Twitter and Facebook.