A scene from Boyhood, a coming-of-age drama. [Photo/Agencies]

It won two, including best comedy/musical actor for Michael Keaton－now seen as being in a tight Oscar race with the other Globes best actor winner, Britain's Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything).

But the top prizes went to Boyhood－best film drama and best director for Richard Linklater.

Amy Adams won best comedy/musical actress for Big Eyes, while Julianne Moore won best dramatic actress for Still Alice. Both women have multiple Oscar nominations, but neither has ever won.

'Budapest Hotel' surprise

Possibly the biggest surprise of the evening was Wes Anderson's stylish crime caper The Grand Budapest Hotel taking best comedy/musical film, over Birdman.

"The Grand Budapest triumph throws something of a curveball into the Oscar race," writes the Los Angeles Times.

A key point as the Oscars race unfolds is the vast difference between who votes for the Globes and who chooses the Oscar winners.

Whereas the Globes are selected by fewer than 100 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences－which hands out the Oscars－has some 6,000 voting members.

Applause suggestive

For some pundits, the reaction from the Globes audience, most of whom are academy members, may be the most telling aspect of Sunday night's ceremony.

"The loud applause a certain film gets during the show is something you can feel because the audiences really are the people voting on awards," Stone tells AFP.

"I felt that The Grand Budapest Hotel was well received with the crowd, as was The Theory of Everything, Birdman and Selma."

For Variety's Gray, some Globe-winning actors definitely improved their Oscar chances.

"Globes always give out two best picture prizes, comedy/musical and drama. But even with doubled odds, the Globes winner went on to win Oscar only four out of the past 10 years," Gray says.

"Bottom line: It's the work that counts with members of the academy."