Cameron wins best-director Globe for `Avatar'

James Cameron, right, and Suzy Amis arrive at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – James Cameron has won the best-director Golden Globe for his science-fiction blockbuster "Avatar," which is following in the footsteps of his "Titanic" as a box-office record-breaker and awards darling.

"Avatar" also was up for best drama Sunday night, along with the Harlem tale "Precious," the recession tale "Up in the Air" and the war stories "The Hurt

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Locker" and "Inglourious Basterds."

Among acting winners are Meryl Streep as chef Julia Child in "Julie & Julia," Mo'Nique as a loathsome, abusive welfare mother in "Precious" and Christoph Waltz as a gleefully bloodthirsty Nazi in "Inglourious Basterds."

Globe wins could boost recipients' prospects at the Oscars, whose nominations balloting closes Saturday.