Emma Watson 'optimistic for a fairer future' as Golden Globes set to kick off most diverse awards season yet

A year ago they wore all black, taking to the red carpet under a cloud of sexual harassment claims enveloping Hollywood.

But now film and television stars are gearing up for the Golden Globes on Sunday night amid renewed optimism as leading ladies dominate the field in what marks the start of the industry's most most diverse awards season yet.

Emma Watson set the tone in a message to fans saying how "optimistic" she was for a "fairer future" in cinema one year on from backing the Time's Up movement.

The Harry Potter actress said she has been "so inspired" by the way people have come together "as part of this movement for change".

The campaign, launched last January by more than 300 actresses, writers and directors, was set up to provide legal funds for victims of sexual harassment in the workplace.

As of December, the campaign had received $22m (£17m) in donations, and the services of hundreds of volunteer lawyers.

In an Instagram post lauding the movement, Watson said: "the achievements so far make me optimistic for a fairer future. 2018 was just the beginning."

Indeed, leading ladies are expected to dominate the 2019 award season, which also features unprecedented recognition for actors and actresses from minorities.

Black Panther, with its predominately black cast, surpassed Titanic to become the third highest-grossing film of all time. The pioneering comic adventure has been nominated for best film (drama) and best soundtrack, and the stars Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael B Jordan, and Sterling K Brown will present awards.

BlacKkKlansman, Spike Lee’s powerful true story of a black policeman in Colorado who successfully infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan, is nominated for five awards – leading, along with A Star is Born, the drama categories. Crazy Rich Asians, the first Hollywood blockbuster to feature an Asian director and all-Asian cast, is nominated for Best Picture (comedy or musical).

The barrier-breaking film took $238 million worldwide at the box office, making it the most successful romantic comedy in years.

Constance Wu, who plays the lead, Rachel Chu, said the nomination showed there was power in projects that showed underrepresented communities.

“This is the goal not just for Asian-Americans but any under-represented group,” she said.

“When you’re a kid and you don’t see stories that centre your type of experience, you can start to kind of question your own value and whether your way is the right way to be an American.

“When people invest in projects that centre on Asian-American expression, it tells people who don’t live in major cities that their journey and their culture is part of being an American - and that their story is one that people value and want to see.”

Alfonso Cuaron’s much-lauded paean to his Mexico City hometown, Roma, is another trail-blazing film, starring an indigenous trainee pre-school teacher who had never acted before, Yalitza Aparicio.

The elegant black and white film, hotly tipped for the Oscars, is nominated for best director, best screenplay and best foreign language.

British hopes lie with Emily Blunt for her magical role in the Disney sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, as well as Broadchurch star, Olivia Coleman, who has been nominated for her striking portrayal of Queen Anne in the historical drama The Favourite.

Other British female leads going for gold this weekend include Rosamund Pike, for her appearance in A Private War as The Sunday Times war correspondent, Marie Colvin, and Claire Foy for playing the wife of astronaut Neil Armstrong in First Man. Rachel Weisz is nominated for her supporting role in The Favourite.

Benedict Cumberbatch is nominated for Patrick Melrose, a film based on the Edward St Aubyn novel series, while Hugh Grant is hoping to win for his role in A Very English Scandal, which tells the story of MP Jeremy Thorpe, who was accused of conspiring to murder his ex-lover, Norman Scott.

Matthew Rhys is nominated for his work in The Americans, and Scottish actor Richard Madden has been recognised for his role in Bodyguard — which has also been nominated for best TV drama series.

London-born Sacha Baron Cohen is also up for recognition for his satirical TV show, Who Is America?

While last year's Golden Globes ceremony is remembered for being the first awards of the post-Weinstein era – nominees wearing black and bringing survivors of sexual assault as their guests – the 2019 ceremony promises to be far lighter in tone.

The awards, held in the Beverly Hills Hotel, feature nominees from both television and film, selected by the 90-odd members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Hosts Sandra Oh, star of the BBC’s Killing Eve, and comedian Andy Samberg from Brooklyn Nine Nine, have also said they’ll steer clear of politics, and keep the show fizzing.

"Everyone is depressed, and maybe that's as good a reason as any that everyone could use a little time to laugh and celebrate," said Samberg.

"Not to ignore anything, but we spend so much time every day wallowing in a lot of things that are happening in our world that are really depressing, and with good reason — that stuff needs to be paid attention to — but there's also power to being positive and celebratory in the tougher times as well."

Oh agreed, saying they hoped to bring “a moment of joy”. The co-host is also a nominee, favoured to win a Golden Globe award for best actress for her Killing Eve role.

“Honestly, with who is going to be in that audience, the nominees this year, it excites me so tremendously - mostly because of the diversity in that room,” she said.

Yet for all the optimism ahead of tonight's ceremony, as Emma Watson and other Time's Up campaigners note, there is "still a long way to go" for Hollywood.

Actor Kevin Spacey will appear before a judge on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket on Monday to be charged with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old in 2016.

And Harvey Weinstein’s case is likely to come to trial in New York in 2019 – despite his lawyers’ continued efforts to get the judge to dismiss all charges.  Both men deny the charges against them.