The two trophies were the final prizes in a ceremony that had been expected to be a consecration for A Star is Born - starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in the age-old Hollywood fable of an ailing performer and his muse - which went into the night with five nods.

“A Star is Born had to content itself with a statuette for best song, which went to Gaga and writing partner Mark Ronson, while Christian Bale - who plays Cheney - picked up the solo gong for Vice.

Civil rights dramedy Green Book was the numerical winner - if not the prestige player - picking up awards for best comedy movie, best supporting actor Mahershala Ali and best screenplay.

The boozy gala at the Beverly Hilton also recognised Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma, a cinematic ode to his childhood in 1970s Mexico City, with best director and foreign film honours, while seven movies bagged one statuette each.

“Cinema at its best builds bridges to other cultures,” Cuaron told the audience.

“We need to understand how much we have in common.”

Under an azure southern California sky, Tinseltown’s A-listers worked the red carpet with last year’s gender politics still very much in mind.

Many wore “Time’s Up” bracelets in a nod to the movement for sexual equality in the workplace that grabbed the headlines 12 months ago as the industry faced a reckoning about rampant harassment and abuse.

Hosting the Globes were comedian Andy Samberg and actress Sandra Oh, who made history as the first Asian woman to have presented a major awards show while also taking home her second Globe for Killing Eve.

Golden Globe winner Darren Criss thanks his ‘firecracker’ Filipino mother

As the only awards show where alcohol is served, the evening is usually more colourful than showbiz’s other big nights.

But the presenters set the tone for a less edgy affair than in previous years with a relatively tame opening that gave more time to complimenting the nominees than assailing them with jokes.

Samberg paid tribute to the diversity among the slate of films up for awards, singling out If Beale Street Could Talk, whose star Regina King took home best supporting actress honours, as well as Black Panther and Crazy Rich Asians, which went home empty-handed.

“And they are not just here tonight because they resonated with audiences Hollywood often ignores,” he said.

“They are here because they told stories that resonated with everyone. And that is truly a beautiful thing.”

King vowed that, for the next two years, she would only produce projects that employ 50 per cent women, exclaiming: “Time’s Up times two!”

This year, the Globes come at the start of voting for Oscar nominations, and while they are not always a clear predictor of Academy Award success, they are a bellwether of momentum.

In the acting categories, Glenn Close (The Wife) bested the favourite Lady Gaga on the drama side.

Olivia Colman, who plays Queen Anne in offbeat royal romp The Favourite, and Bale won as expected in the comedy acting races.

“Thank you to Satan for giving me inspiration for playing this role,” deadpanned Bale.

Bradley Cooper - who plays the ageing rocker opposite Gaga’s singer in Star - had been favourite for best actor in a drama but was edged out by Malek.

The television side of the Globes can feel a bit redundant coming so soon after the Emmys in September, with many of the same nominees as the Television Academy field.

Best drama series went to the acclaimed FX cold war spy thriller The Americans - its first Golden Globe for its sixth and final season.

But adding spice to the mix on Sunday are programs that aired too late for Emmys contention.

Netflix comedy The Kominsky Method took home the best comedy series trophy and best actor honours for Michael Douglas.