In a few hours, the Golden Globe Awards will be presented, and if you believe the oddsmakers and blogosphere, Meryl is having best chances to win Best Actress for “The Iron Lady”. She has made records already for nominations (twenty-six) and wins (seven), being honored quite early in her career – for “Kramer vs. Kramer”, “The French Lieutenant’s Woman” and “Sophie’s Choice” – and quite recent again – for “Adaptation”, “Angels in America”, “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Julie & Julia”. Part of the reason why Meryl has won more Globes than Oscars is because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association splits acting categories into Drama and Comedy – this way she scored two comedy prizes while the Academy Awards went with the Drama winners (Helen Mirren and Sandra Bullock). You’ll often read that the HFPA loves Meryl Streep and will nominate her for anything she’s doing, and while there might be a grain of truth to that, she has been overlooked just as often. Meryl was nominated almost every year throughout the 1990s, receiving 8 nominations in 10 years, without winning any.

Meryl has accepted four of her seven Golden Globes in person, and each of her acceptance speeches have been highlights. Have a look at her speeches by clicking the previews above.

Her stiffest competition this year is Viola Davis, having received praise from the press and critics awards. An actress who’s been working for fifteen years on film and television, Davis had her breakthrough four years ago, ironically opposite Meryl Streep in “Doubt”, for which she received her first Oscar nomination. If you recall the 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Meryl shouted in her acceptance speech, that “someone please give her a movie!”. It happened, and my feeling tells me that, tonight, Viola will win the Golden Globe. What speaks for her is that “The Help” has been a critical and commercial success while “The Iron Lady” has won raves for Meryl’s performance but has received mixed reviews for the film (I personally think it’s about the individual performances, the films have their own categories). Whenever I read somewhere that Meryl is campaigning herself harder for an Oscar this year than any time before (instead of acknowledging that she’s promoting a film whose release falls into Oscar season), I feel reminded that she has taken every opportunity to praise Viola Davis and her performance. She’s certainly proud of her work, and, I assume, would be thrilled for her colleague to be recognized. That being said, I, and I’m sure the majority of you, would be just as thrilled to see Meryl taking the stage tonight. Rooting for actors at award ceremonies is the most nonsense and fun of it all. So let’s keep our fingers crossed for tonight.

Do you think Meryl is a lock for winning tonight? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The Weinstein Co. has created a series of unusual campaign-style posters to promote the film online and possibly in print as well. The intentionally defaced ads play off the idea that not everyone was in love with Thatcher in her home country, embracing the controversy she stirred in England, not shying away from it. It might seem odd to promote a film with an ad campaign that seems to disparage the movie’s subject, but it’s very much a play on Thatcher’s thorny relationship with many in her country during the time she served as prime minister (article courtesy Politico). Another new poster, probably for its wide release in the USA, has been added as well.

Also, with thanks to Frank for the heads-up, Meryl has been awarded Best Actress for “The Iron Lady” by the Denver Film Critics Society and has received a nomination as Best International Actress for the Irish Film and Television Award. Congratulations!

Great news from Germany. The Berlin Film Festival said Monday it would award Meryl Streep an honorary Golden Bear next month in recognition of her decades-long career. “Meryl Streep is a brilliant, versatile performer who moves with ease between dramatic and comedic roles,” the festival’s director Dieter Kosslick said in a written statement. The award will be presented on February 14 at the screening of “The Iron Lady”, while audiences at the Berlinale, as the festival is known, will also be able to see five of Streep’s other films under its Homage section. In 2003, Meryl Streep shared the Berlinale’s Silver Bear award for best actresses with Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman for their performances in “The Hours”. Thanks to Sandra for the heads-up!

Meryl Streep has won the Southeastern Film Critics Association Award as Best Actress for “The Iron Lady”. Today, she also received a nomination as Actress of the Year by the London Critics Circle Film Awards – a further nomination went to Olivia Colman in the British Actress of the Year category – Colman plays Carol Thatcher in the film. Meanwhile, “The Iron Lady” won two awards by the Women Film Critics Circle Awards – Best Movie by a Woman (tied with “We need to talk about Kevin”) and Best Woman Storyteller for Abi Morgan. For a list of all recent wins and nominations, have a look at the Awards & Nominations category.

Congratulations to Meryl Streep for receiving a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress in a Drama for “The Iron Lady”. She shares the category with Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (The Help), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Tilda Swinton (We need to talk about Kevin). The Golden Globes will be be broadcast live on NBC coast-to-coast January 15, 2012 with returning host Ricky Gervais. Morgan Freeman will receive the Cecille DeMille Award.

This is Meryl’s astonishing 26th nomination for a Golden Globe – she holds the record for most nominations and wins – receiving the trophy seven times for “Kramer vs. Kramer”, “The French Lieutenant’s Woman”, “Sophie’s Choice“, “Adaptation“, “Angels in America“, “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Julie & Julia”

I’m thrilled to be included in this beautiful group of actors and actresses. I’m very proud of our movie and look forward to seeing everyone at the party in January. (Meryl Streep, The Hollywood Reporter)

Congratulations to Meryl for receiving a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading role for “The Iron Lady”. She shares the category with Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (The Help), Tilda Swinton (We Need to talk about Kevin) and Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn).

USA Today has a quote of Meryl on her nomination: “I love the SAG, because it’s actors. You can say, ‘I’m making this movie for my grandmother.’ But really, you love, you love it most of all when people who understand what it is and what it takes and what you need to do get there – that they like it. That’s the whole deal”. The SAG Awards will be handed out in a live ceremony on January 29, 2012. Thanks also to Frank for the heads-up that Meryl received nominations for the Phoenix Film Critics and the Woman Film Critics Circle and was Runners Up at the Toronto Film Critics in the Best Actress category.

Congratulations to Meryl for receiving a Best Actress nomination for the Critics Choice Movie Awards. She shares the category with Viola Davis (The Hel), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Charlize Theron (Young Adult) and Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn). “The Iron Lady” has received a second nomination for Best Makeup as well. This is Meryl’s fifth nomination, she won for “Julie & Julia” and “Doubt” and was nominated for “Adaptation” and “The Devil Wears Prada”. The Critics Choice Movie Awards will be broadcast on January 13, 2012. This is not the only awards-related news – last week, Meryl received a nomination for the Washington DC Area Film Critics and won Best Actress at the New York Film Critics Online.

The galleries for all recent Kennedy Center events have been uploaded with additional pictures.

Nora Ephron, whom Streep portrayed in the film “Heartburn,” praised the actress’ portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in the upcoming film “The Iron Lady” and warned Secretary Clinton that she would be next. “It’s inevitable,” Ephron said. “Someday you will see her in a movie about your life and discover the truth that she is better at being you than you are.” Amid all the accolades and praise, Streep, 62, who has received 16 Academy Award nominations, winning twice, quipped that events made her “feel a little like Tom Sawyer going to his own funeral.”

Tracey Ullman, first up to honor Streep, said there’s something special about the actress. “Looking around, I see Caroline Kennedy, first lady Michelle Obama, the president … an illustrious group to be sure, but with no disrespect to you guys, we have Meryl-bloody-Streep in the room!” And the laughs continued: After the audience watched a video with highlights from Streep’s film career, 2009 honoree De Niro said, “My first thought was, I was amazing in Deer Hunter.” Then he got serious and said, “Meryl, you are the very best. … I love you.” It was a reunion of The Devil Wears Prada cast – which starred Streep as a fashion editor – when Hathaway, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt took to the stage. “In every scene, she’s actually doing at least two jobs,” said Blunt. “First, her own character, who is always so complete, so natural, you forget that somewhere in there is Meryl Streep. Then the second is stabilizing the other actor who is having a nervous breakdown because they’re in a scene with Meryl Streep.” Tucci, who also starred as Streep’s character’s husband when she took on the role of Julia Child in Julie & Julia, shared a special requirement of his: “The only thing I want in every scene I’m in is … Meryl Streep.” Below is a compilation from last night’s event with footage from the reception as well as the red carpet and ceremony.

The White House was full of celebrities Sunday evening when U.S. President Barack Obama played host to this year’s five Kennedy Center honorees. The festivities in Washington began with a White House reception, where Obama made his remarks flanked by the honorees. The actual Kennedy Center Honors ceremony takes place afterwards. Pictures can be found in the image library.

According to the president’s speech, “The sheer brilliance and breadth of Meryl Streep’s performances count as one of the most exhilarating cultural spectacles of our time.” Others attending Sunday’s events included actors Stanley Tucci, Robert DeNiro, Sarah Jessica Parker and Emily Blunt, and musician Smokey Robinson. A two-hour recap of the gala will air the night of December 27 on CBS.

Yesterday, Meryl Streep and her family have attended the Gala Dinner for the Kennedy Center Honors, which will take place today. President Barack Obama hosts the five recipients of the 34th Kennedy Center Honors at a White House reception Sunday before attending the evening gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This year’s honorees, besides Meryl, are Neil Diamond, Barbara Cook, Yo-Yo Ma and Sonny Rollins. The awards ceremony will be broadcast on CBS December 27.