Golden Globe 2013 Nominations - NYTimes.com LOS ANGELES - Golden Globe nominations - set to be unveiled at 5:30 a.m. Pacific time on Thursday -- may have never mattered more. Globe voters have a history of idiosyncrasies, like when "Burlesque" was nominated for best comedy or musical in 2010, so it's easy to be dismissive of them. But this year the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of 80 or so mostly freelance writers, will announce its picks just four days before the unusually early onset of Oscar voting. So an armful of Globes nominations will without question put momentum behind certain Academy Award hopefuls. And that could swing the race. The movie industry's self-congratulatory season is typically well defined by now, with favorites firmly established and potential dark horses looming. But consensus has yet to form fully around any best picture contender this year, perhaps because an unusual number of films are arriving late. Among the films with most to gain from Globes nominations are "Django Unchained," "Life of Pi," and "Moonrise Kingdom," none of which figured heavily in the Screen Actors Guild nominations, which were announced on Wednesday morning. On the brighter side, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" got a boost from the actors' guild; a good showing from the Globes would give it new status as a best picture contender in the Oscar race. Nicole Kidman also picked up a nomination from S.A.G. for her steamy (and somewhat loopy) work in "The Paperboy," and would be helped considerably by a nod from the Globes. Considered shoo-ins for loads of Globes nominations: "Lincoln," "Argo," "Silver Linings Playbook," "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Les Miserables," which doesn't have much competition in the comedy-musical category this year (unless "Silver Linings" gets classified as a comedy.) The best picture Oscar has mirrored the Globes' choice for best drama or best comedy-musical about two-thirds of the time over the last two decades. The Globes last year gave its top movie prizes to "The Descendants" and "The Artist," which went on to win the Academy award for best picture. The Globes telecast, which includes trophies for television work, will air on Jan. 13 on a live NBC telecast, with Amy Poehler and Tina Fey handling hosting duties. Ms. Fey has notably turned down emcee offers from the Oscars in the past. About 16.8 million people watched the last Globes telecast, on par with the year before. By comparison, about 40 million people watch the Oscars. Lore has it that Globes nominations are as much about putting stars in seats at the annual banquet as honoring the year's best. A rule of thumb among Hollywood publicists says tables in the first tier should have a two-star minimum, however many executives and retainers fill the other seats. To get no nomination at all for a picture is like not being invited to the party. Who will be on the outside looking in this time? Best Television Comedy or Musical: "The Big Bang Theory" "Episodes" "Girls" "Modern Family" "Smash" Best Actress, Drama: Connie Briton Glenn Close Claire Danes Michelle Dockery Juliana Margulies Foreign Language Film: "Amour" "A Royal Affair" "The Intouchables" "Kon-Tiki" "Rust and Bone" Best Miniseries or Television Movie: "Game Change" "The Girl" "Hatfields & McCoys" "The Hour" "Political Animals" Best Screenplay: Mark Boal, "Zero Dark Thirty" Tony Kushner, "Lincoln" David O'Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook" Quentin Tarantino, "Django Unchained" Chris Terrio, "Argo"