NEW YORK • Perhaps only in the world of the Golden Globes would La La Land, critical darling and a front-runner in the awards race, face off for Best Musical or Comedy against Deadpool, which is about a neurotic, motor-mouthed superhero.

Or would fashion designer- turned-director Tom Ford beat out Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese and Jeff Nichols for a spot in the Best Director category?

But so it goes with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and its 85 or so members, who dole out the Globes each year. Their nominations came on Monday and while La La Land landed the most - seven - notable performances and films were shut out.

Scorsese's passion project, Silence, about Jesuit missionaries in 17th-century Japan, left empty- handed.

So did Eastwood's Sully, which stars Tom Hanks as the pilot who made the "Miracle on the Hudson" plane landing.

The much-anticipated Hidden Figures, which stars Taraji P. Henson as a black woman mathematician who helped American astronauts get into orbit, collected only two nominations - for Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer) and Best Score.

One of this year's biggest surprises came in the Best Musical or Comedy category. Sing Street, a John Carney-directed Irish film set in 1980s Dublin, earned only US$3.2 million (S$4.6 million) at the box office. But it was an audience favourite among those who saw it.

Another surprise was Hell Or High Water, a summer sleeper hit that received Best Screenplay and Best Drama nominations, edging out Silence and other higher-profile releases. It also scored Best Supporting Actor for Jeff Bridges.

The fact that end-of-the-year films such as Silence and Patriots Day (the Boston Marathon bombing film from Peter Berg) received no Golden Globes love does not necessarily augur an Oscar shut-out.

The nominees were unveiled more than a month before the Academy's, set to be announced on Jan 24.

NYTIMES, WASHINGTON POST