Netflix dominated the Golden Globe nominations Monday as its heart-wrenching divorce saga "Marriage Story" grabbed six nods including best drama, kicking off the race for the Oscars.

The streaming giant secured a whopping 17 film nominations unveiled at a Beverly Hills ceremony, trouncing the competition from Hollywood studios among whom Sony finished second with just eight.

"I'm not surprised by the dominance -- I'm surprised by how massive the dominance is," Lorenzo Soria, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, told AFP.

"The announcements this morning are sort of like a coming of age of the streaming services."

"The Irishman," Martin Scorsese's three-and-a-half-hour gangster epic also from Netflix, secured five nominations, ending tied for second with "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," Quentin Tarantino's nostalgic love letter to 1960s Tinseltown.

The nominations traditionally see the stars and movies destined for awards success start to break away from the competition -- the Globes are seen as a key bellwether for February's Academy Awards.

"Marriage Story" earned nominations for its stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, and for its screenplay, but director Noah Baumbach missed out.

The film portrays how a seemingly stable love can be ripped apart after Johansson's actress moves from New York to Los Angeles, calling in the lawyers as she separates from a narcissistic theater director played by Driver.

Scorsese was nominated for best director for "Irishman" but there was no best actor nod for his leading man Robert De Niro. Instead, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci were both selected for supporting roles.

For "Once Upon a Time..." there were acting nods for A-listers Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie.

Netflix's Vatican drama "The Two Popes" also performed well for the streamer, while dark comic book tale "Joker" received recognition in best drama, best actor (Joaquin Phoenix) and best director.

Star power 

Underlining its supremacy, Netflix also secured the most television nominations. The latest series of royal family drama "The Crown," which features an all-new cast led by Olivia Colman, secured a joint-top four nominations, as did the streaming giant's limited series "Unbelievable."

Netflix managed 17 television nominations, to its rival HBO's 15.

Apple's new batch of television shows for its streaming platform Apple TV+, launched last month, secured their first three nominations, all for flagship launch program "The Morning Show."

Lead actresses Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, who also executive-produced the series about a morning news program hit by a #MeToo scandal, were both nominated.

Monday's nominations were announced at an early-morning Beverly Hills ceremony by actor Tim Allen ("Toy Story") and actresses Dakota Fanning ("I Am Sam") and Susan Kelechi Watson ("This Is Us").

The 77th Golden Globes will take place in Los Angeles on January 5, two days before voting for Oscars nominees ends.

Nods for Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Jennifer Lopez across best original song ("The Lion King, "Cats") and best supporting actress ("Hustlers") will lend further star power to the gala hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

The show will be hosted by British comedian Ricky Gervais, returning for a record fifth time.

Key television nominations for the 2020 Golden Globe awards

This image released by HBO shows Nicole Kidman in a scene from "Big Little Lies." On Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, Kidman was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress in a drama series for her role on the program. (HBO via AP)

This image released by HBO shows Bill Hader in a scene from "Barry." On Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, the show was nominated for a Golden Globe for best comedy series. Hader was also nominated for best actor in a comedy series. (HBO via AP)

This image released by HBO shows Brian Cox in a scene from "Succession." On Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, the show was nominated for a Golden Globe for best drama series. (HBO via AP)

This image released by Apple TV Plus shows Jennifer Anoston in a scene from "The Morning Show." On Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, Aniston was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress in a drama series for her role on the program. (Apple TV Plus via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Ben Platt in a scene from "The Politician," named one of the top ten TV shows of the year by the Associated Press. (Netflix via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Christina Applegate in a scene from "Dead To Me." On Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, Applegate was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy series. (Saeed Adyani/Netflix via AP)

This image released by HBO shows Stellan Skarsgard in a scene from "Chernobyl." On Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, the program was nominated for a Golden Globe for best limited series or movie made for television. Skarsgard was also nominated for best supporting actor. (Liam Daniel/HBO via AP)