Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley among Golden Globe nominees

Benedict and Keira are both up for their roles in The Imitation Game.

Keira is up for best supporting movie actress, while Benedict is up for best actor.

He is up against Eddie in the best performance by an actor in a motion picture – drama category for Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything as well as fellow Briton David Oyelowo for Selma.

British star and The Theory Of Everything actress Felicity Jones is also up for best actress in a motion picture – vying against Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl.

British film Pride has also been recognised as one of the five nominees in the best musical or comedy film category.

Further UK success came in the television categories for the awards.

Downton Abbey and the Northern Ireland-filmed Game Of Thrones compete for best TV series, and BBC1 drama The Missing is up for best mini-series.

British nominees in the television categories include Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt, The Good Wife’s Alan Cumming and Ricky Gervais, nominated for his comedy Derek.

British stars who are nominated including Clive Owen (The Knick) and Dominic West (The Affair) for best actor in a TV drama, Gervais for best actor in a TV comedy or musical and Martin Freeman (Fargo) for best actor in a mini-series.

Others include Frances O’Connor (The Missing) for best actress in a mini-series, Cumming (The Good Wife) for best TV supporting actor and Froggatt for best TV supporting actress.

Eric Fellner of Working Title Films, which was behind The Theory Of Everything, welcomed the recognition.

He said: “This film reflects the extraordinary lives of Stephen and Jane Hawking and tells their personal story in a way audiences have never seen before. We’re delighted that Eddie’s astonishing performance as Stephen and Felicity’s as Jane have received the recognition we feel they so richly deserve and we congratulate them and everyone who worked so hard on this film.”

The 72nd Golden Globes will be held on January 11.