The Hollywood award season moves into high gear this week as a slew of televised nominations and award shows trip over one another for attention.

With Oscar nominations on January 10, the Golden Globes ceremony in Beverly Hills on Sunday, and the annual People's Choice and Critics Choice shows wedged in, stars, pundits and fans have an array of movie riches to savour.

The already busy awards schedule has taken on a new look this year with Oscar nominations being announced before the annual Golden Globes ceremony, instead of afterward.

"This is partially an attempt to blunt the impact of the Globes on the part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences," Pete Hammond, awards columnist for entertainment website Deadline.com, said.

Six movies and a handful of actors are commanding the buzz in this week's races.

Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow's controversial thriller about the decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden; Iran hostage drama Argo; epic musical Les Miserables; presidential drama Lincoln; Quentin Tarantino's violent slavery Western Django Unchained and quirky comedy Silver Linings Playbook are expected to get Oscar nominations. 

All six films are also in the running to take home a Golden Globe on Sunday.

The one sure bet is that British-born Daniel Day-Lewis will win the Golden Globe for his quiet but powerful performance as Abraham Lincoln - and probably the Oscar next month, watchers said.