Golden Globe voters like to be first.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, whose handful of members will announce the Golden Globe nominations Tue., Dec. 14 and award prizes to the winners in a televised ceremony on Jan. 16, are the first major accolades of the awards season.

So Globe voters have a chance to recognize new shows and new talent months before the Emmys do the same.

Unfortunately, this year offers slim pickings for new standout series and performers, so HFPA members may find themselves nominating many familiar faces and titles next Tuesday. Here's how we predict the Golden Globe nominations are likely to play out.

BEST DRAMA SERIES

'Mad Men' has won this prize three years running; a fourth win would be a record. The only new drama likely to challenge the reign of the swingin' '60s series is 'Boardwalk Empire.' Other newcomers with a lesser shot at nominations include 'The Event' and 'The Walking Dead' -- Globe voters seem to like sci-fi, at least more than Emmy voters do. This year also marks the last chance for Globe voters to honor 'Lost.' Curiously, the Globes have never shown much love for AMC's 'Breaking Bad' or for CBS dramas, so 'The Good Wife' could be ignored.

Best Bets: 'Boardwalk Empire,' 'Dexter,' 'Friday Night Lights,' 'House,' 'Mad Men,' 'True Blood.'
Strong Contenders: 'Big Love,' 'In Treatment,' 'Lost,' The Walking Dead,'
Long Shots: 'Breaking Bad,' 'The Event,' 'The Good Wife,' 'Justified,' 'Sons of Anarchy,' 'Treme'

BEST COMEDY SERIES

'Glee' won last year, and there's not much new to challenge it. Maybe 'The Big C' (the HFPA likes those Showtime comedies with the oddball heroines), maybe modest new network hits 'Mike & Molly' or 'Raising Hope.' Besides the seemingly unstoppable 'Modern Family,' the rest of the category will probably be veterans.

Best Bets: '30 Rock,' 'Entourage,' 'Glee,' 'Modern Family,' 'The Office'
Strong Contenders: 'The Big C,' 'Nurse Jackie'
Long Shots: 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'Men of a Certain Age,' 'Mike & Molly,' 'Raising Hope'

BEST ACTOR: DRAMA

'Dexter's' Michael C. Hall is the reigning champ, but the Globes seldom honor the same star for the same role twice in a row, so he'll face competition from such perennials as Jon Hamm, Gabriel Byrne and Hugh Laurie. Steve Buscemi ('Boardwalk Empire') may be the only new blood in the category, unless the Globes finally recognize three-time Emmy winner Bryan Cranston.

Best Bets: Simon Baker ('The Mentalist'), Steve Buscemi ('Boardwalk Empire'), Michael C. Hall ('Dexter'), Jon Hamm ('Mad Men'), Hugh Laurie ('House'), Bill Paxton ('Big Love')
Strong Contenders: Gabriel Byrne '(In Treatment'), Kyle Chandler ('Friday Night Lights'), Matthew Fox ('Lost')
Long Shots: Bryan Cranston ('Breaking Bad'), Idris Elba ('Luther'), Jason Ritter ('The Event'), Tom Selleck ('Blue Bloods'), Blair Underwood ('The Event')

BEST ACTRESS: DRAMA

Last year's winner, Julianna Margulies ('The Good Wife'), could face her strongest competition from 'Mad Men's' Elisabeth Moss, who is submitting herself as a lead actress this year instead of as a supporting actress. (That's the right move, given how Peggy-centric this season was.) Otherwise, there'll be few new names in this category, save for 'Boardwalk Empire's' Kelly Macdonald.

Best Bets: Glenn Close ('Damages'), Kelly Macdonald ('Boardwalk Empire'), Julianna Margulies ('The Good Wife'), Elisabeth Moss ('Mad Men;), Anna Paquin ('True Blood'), Kyra Sedgwick ('The Closer')
Long Shots: Connie Britton ('Friday Night Lights'), Katey Sagal ('Sons of Anarchy')

BEST ACTOR: COMEDY

Jim Parsons beat perennial Emmy and Globe winner Alec Baldwin at the Emmys this year, so maybe the Globes will finally recognize the 'Big Bang Theory' star. Otherwise, this looks like an especially tight race for inclusion.
Best Bets: Alec Baldwin ('30 Rock'), Steve Carell ('The Office'), Thomas Jane ('Hung'), Matthew Morrison ('Glee')
Strong Contenders: Jim Parsons ('The Big Bang Theory'), Ray Romano ('Men of a Certain Age')

BEST ACTRESS: COMEDY

2010 winner Toni Collette's fiercest rivals may be her fellow Showtime stars, Edie Falco and newbie Laura Linney. Amy Poehler may be the only other new(-ish) challenger, while this year also represents the last chance to honor Julia Louis-Dreyfus for 'The New Adventures of Old Christine.'

Best Bets: Toni Collette ('United States of Tara'), Courteney Cox ('Cougar Town'), Edie Falco ('Nurse Jackie'), Tina Fey ('30 Rock'), Laura Linney ('The Big C'), Lea Michele ('Glee')
Long Shots: Julia Louis-Dreyfus ('The New Adventures of Old Christine'), Amy Poehler ('Parks and Recreation')

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

The Globes' supporting acting categories are a big apples-vs.-oranges mess, with comedy, drama, mini-series, and made-for-TV movie actors all competing for the same five or six spots. With last year's winner ('Dexter's' John Lithgow) ineligible, this is anybody's race. Expect multiple actors from ensemble programs ('Modern Family,' 'Lost') to jockey for space, though Emmy wins this year for Eric Stonestreet and Aaron Paul may give them a tiny edge.

Best Bets: Michael Emerson ('Lost'), Neil Patrick Harris ('How I Met Your Mother'), Jeremy Piven ('Entourage'), Eric Stonestreet ('Modern Family')
Strong Contenders: Ty Burrell '(Modern Family'), Chris Colfer ('Glee'), Jesse Tyler Ferguson ('Modern Family'), Terry O'Quinn ('Lost'), Aaron Paul ('Breaking Bad'), Michael Pitt ('Boardwalk Empire'), John Slattery ('Mad Men')
Long Shots: Andre Braugher ('Men of a Certain Age'), Jon Cryer ('Two and a Half Men'), John Goodman ('You Don't Know Jack'), Ian McShane ('The Pillars of the Earth'), Danny Pudi ('Community'), Martin Short ('Damages'), David Strathairn ('Temple Grandin')

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Chloë Sevigny won last year; despite a sub-par season for 'Big Love,' she's a likely nominee again. Force of nature Jane Lynch will be in there, too; after that, it's anyone's race.

Best Bets: Jane Adams ('Hung'), Rose Byrne ('Damages'), Jane Lynch ('Glee'), Chloë Sevigny ('Big Love')
Strong Contenders: Julie Bowen ('Modern Family'), Christina Hendricks ('Mad Men'), Jane Krakowski ('30 Rock'), Archie Panjabi ('The Good Wife'), Sofia Vergara ('Modern Family')
Long Shots: Christine Baranski ('The Good Wife'), Sharon Gless ('Burn Notice'),,Catherine O'Hara ('Temple Grandin'), Julia Ormond ('Temple Grandin'), Susan Sarandon ('You Don't Know Jack'), Holland Taylor ('Two and a Half Men'), Brenda Vaccaro ('You Don't Know Jack')

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

HBO will dominate this list, as usual, though Starz could squeeze in for its medieval epic mini-series 'The Pillars of the Earth,' as could PBS for its Emmy-nominated 'Masterpiece' mini-series 'Return to Cranford.'

Best Bets: 'The Pacific,' 'The Special Relationship,' 'Temple Grandin,' 'You Don't Know Jack'
Long Shots: 'The Pillars of the Earth,' 'Return to Cranford'

BEST ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

Not too much to choose from, beyond the obvious HBO names, including Al Pacino, who won the Emmy. It's hard to pick a stand-out lead actor from the vast ensembles of 'The Pacific' and 'Pillars of the Earth.'

Best Bets: Dennis Quaid ('The Special Relationship'), Al Pacino ('You Don't Know Jack'), Michael Sheen ('The Special Relationship')

BEST ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

Emmy-winner Claire Danes is the automatic front-runner, with her only real competition from Hope Davis' dead-on Hillary Clinton. Otherwise, like the corresponding lead actor category, there's an awfully small pool here.

Best Bets: Claire Danes ('Temple Grandin'), Hope Davis ('The Special Relationship')
Long Shot: Judi Dench ('Return to Cranford')


For Golden Globe movie predictions, head over to Moviefone.


Who do you think deserves to be nominated for a Golden Globe this year?

•Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.