Golden Globes: Hollywood's stars on the red carpet

Hollywood's awards season extravaganza kicks off in earnest tonight at the 71st Golden Globe Awards, which celebrate achievements in film and television.

Hollywood's most famous faces including Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Robert Redford, Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett are expected on the red carpet and at the gala itself.

• INTERACTIVE: Awards season scorecard

Hosted for a second consecutive year by comic favourites Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, the Globes are awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the event is considered a looser, more carefree and wider-ranging toast of Hollywood than the upcoming Oscars.

Top nominees include 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, Breaking Bad and Behind the Candelabra.

The Globes take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., beginning at 8 p.m. ET and airing on NBC and CTV.