Stars prepare for Golden Globe gala

Gervais won a Golden Globe in 2004 for his work in The Office

A host of stars are expected at the Golden Globes on Sunday, the first major Hollywood awards ceremony on the road to the Oscars in March.

Britain's Ricky Gervais will present the event, to be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Jodie Foster and Cher are among the US celebrities lined up to present awards.

Up in the Air has six nominations in the film categories, including a best actor citation for George Clooney.

The Globes, which recognise both movies and TV shows, are bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a body of around 90 international journalists based in southern California.

The HFPA will announce at Sunday's gala that it is donating $100,000 (£61,387) to Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti relief fund for victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Segregated

British hopes in the film categories rest on Carey Mulligan, Emily Blunt and Dame Helen Mirren, all up for best performance by an actress in a drama.

Colin Firth, nominated for best actor in a drama for his role as a gay academic in film A Single Man, will also fly the flag for the UK.

Musical comedy Glee is up for four prizes, more than any other TV show

Unlike the Oscars, the Globes divides its film prizes between dramas and comedies or musicals.

The TV awards are similarly segregated, with additional accolades for mini-series or films made for the small screen.

British talent is well represented here, with Kenneth Branagh recognised for BBC crime series Wallander and Jeremy Irons cited for the cable movie Georgia O'Keeffe.

Kate Winslet, recognised in 2009 for her performance in The Reader, will present an award this year, as will Sir Paul McCartney - nominated alongside U2's Bono in the best film song category.

Director Martin Scorsese will be honoured with a special award for his outstanding contribution to the entertainment field.

Gervais, who won a Globe in 2004 for his work in The Office, told the BBC this week he was looking forward to being the event's first host in 15 years.

"I'm going to say what I think is funny and I'm going to give the A-listers a hard time," the 48-year-old said.