This year Steven Spielberg receives the Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement Sunday, January 13 at the Golden Globe Awards. Unfortunately, many of his friends who are actors will not make any congratulatory speeches because The Hollywood Foreign Press Association recently had to cancel the Golden Globe Awards telecast on NBC because of the WGA strike. Winners will be announced in a news conference format.

The Screen Actors Guild's (SAG) support of the current writer’s strike, which began on November 5, 2007, played a key factor in this historic change of events. Filmmakers had the chance to take center stage, even as presenters. In any case, these hardworking folks still deserve recognition. Here are my picks in acting and writing categories in television and film (in bold):

FILM

Actor (Drama)

• George Clooney – Michael Clayton
• Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood
• James McAvoy – Atonement
• Viggo Mortenson – Eastern Promises
• Denzel Washington – American Gangster

Washington’s nomination and his co-star Russell Crowe’s omission might hint that Washington was the better actor, but they both deserve nominations. Day-Lewis can count on awards any time he’s in a film at this point in his career.

Actress (Drama)

• Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
• Julie Christie – Away from Her
• Jodie Foster – The Brave One
• Angelina Jolie – A Mighty Heart
• Keira Knightley – Atonement

A great group - Christie, Jolie, and Knightley have better chances for Oscar® gold.

Actor (Musical or Comedy)

• Johnny Depp – Sweeney Todd
• Ryan Gosling – Lars and the Real Girl
• Tom Hanks – Charlie Wilson’s War
• Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Savages
• John C. Reilly – Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Very strong group where all leads have successfully jumped between drama and comedy.

Actress (Musical or Comedy)

• Amy Adams – Enchanted
• Nikki Blonsky – Hairspray
• Helena Bonham Carter – Sweeney Todd
• Marion Cotillard – La Vie en Rose
• Ellen Page – Juno

Well deserved praise for Adams and Page in star-making roles.

Supporting Actor

• Casey Affleck – Assassination of Jesse James
• Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men
• Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson’s War
• John Travolta – Hairspray
• Tom Wikinson – Michael Clayton

Bardem created a memorable bad guy like no other.

Supporting Actress

• Cate Blanchett – I’m Not There
• Julia Roberts – Charlie Wilson’s War
• Saoirse Ronan – Atonement
• Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
• Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton

Ryan in yet another star-making role this year.

Screenplay

• Diablo Cody – Juno
• Ethan Coen – No Country for Old Men
• Christopher Hampton – Atonement
• Ronald Harwood – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
• Aaron Sorkin – Charlie Wilson’s War

TELEVISION

Actor (Drama)

• Michael C. Hall – Dexter (SHOWTIME)
• Jon Hamm – Mad Men (AMC)
• Hugh Laurie – House (FOX)
• Bill Paxton – Big Love (HBO)
• Jonathan Rhys Meyers – The Tudors (SHOWTIME)

Laurie has to win – any other outcome would be a surprise.

Actress (Drama)

• Patricia Arquette – Medium (NBC)
• Glenn Close – Damages (FX)
• Minnie Driver – The Riches (FX)
• Edie Falco – The Sopranos (HBO)
• Sally Field – Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
• Holly Hunter – Saving Grace (TNT)
• Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer (TNT)

A tight race, but Falco’s last year on The Sopranos gives her the edge.

Actor (Musical or Comedy)

• Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock (NBC)
• Steve Carell – The Office (NBC)
• David Duchovny – Californication (SHOWTIME)
• Ricky Gervais – Extras (HBO)
• Lee Pace – Pushing Daisies (ABC)

It’s between Baldwin and Gervais. Neither show would be the same without these two veteran actors.