Eddie Redmayne will go head to head with 10-times nominee Leonardo DiCaprio at the Golden Globes, just a year after his win for The Theory Of Everything.
The British star is nominated for best actor in a drama for his performance as transgender artist Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl, while DiCaprio received his 11th nod for his gruelling turn as Hugh Glass in revenge saga The Revenant.
The pair, who were also both nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards on Wednesday, are widely regarded as the favourites in the category and appear poised to secure Oscar nominations when they are announced next year.
Bryan Cranston also scored a nomination for his role as blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo in Trumbo, as did Michael Fassbender for is turn as the lead in Steve Jobs, and Will Smith for his role as a doctor in Concussion.
Dame Maggie Smith was a surprise nominee when the categories were announced by Chloe Grace Moretz, Angela Bassett, America Ferrera and Dennis Quaid at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
She received a best actress in a comedy or musical nod for her cantankerous role in The Lady In The Van and will face off against Trainwreck star Amy Schumer, Spy actress Melissa McCarthy, Jennifer Lawrence, who is nominated for Joy, and Lily Tomlin, who received a nod for Grandma.
British actors Idris Elba and Mark Rylance will both vie for the best supporting actor in a motion picture Golden Globe, as well as the best actor in a limited series or TV movie award.
The pair have already been nominated in the same categories at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
For the best supporting actor gong they will compete against Paul Dano for his portrayal of Brian Wilson in Love And Mercy, Michael Shannon in 99 Homes and Sylvester Stallone for Rocky sequel Creed.
Elba received the nod for his role as the Commandant in Netflix war drama Beasts Of No Nation, while Rylance was honoured for his portrayal of Rudolf Abel in Bridge Of Spies.
The stars will again compete in the same TV category for their performances in BBC dramas Luther and Wolf Hall respectively.
Rylance's Wolf Hall co-star Damian Lewis, who played Henry VIII in the series, was also nominated in the best supporting actor category.
Wolf Hall also picked up a nomination for best limited series or TV movie and will compete against American Crime, American Horror Story: Hotel, Fargo and Flesh And Bone.
Dame Helen Mirren also received a mention at the nominations, hot on the heels of her dual nods from the Screen Actors Guild.
She is nominated for best supporting actress for her role as Hedda Hopper in Trumbo, in the same category as Jane Fonda, who grabbed attention for her single scene performance as an ageing actress in Youth, Kate Winslet, who plays Joanna Hoffman in Steve Jobs, Jennifer Jason Leigh, who is the lone female presence in Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, and Alicia Vikander, who received critical praise for her turn in Ex Machina.
Vikander scored a second nomination in the lead actress in a drama category for her performance opposite Redmayne in The Danish Girl.
Other actresses in the category are Irish star Saoirse Ronan, for her moving turn as a homesick immigrant in Brooklyn, Brie Larson for her performance in abduction drama Room, and Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, who are both nominated for their roles in Carol, an adaptation of a Patricia Highsmith novel.
Carol also scored a coveted nomination for best motion picture (drama), alongside Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Room and Spotlight.
The Big Short, Joy, The Martian, Spy and Trainwreck will all compete for best motion picture (musical or comedy).
The best drama TV series category brought some surprises, with nominations for Empire, Mr Robot, Narcos and Outlander, as well as the expected nod for Game Of Thrones while the best musical or comedy TV series was mainly stacked with shows from online streaming services.
Amazon Prime Video shows Transparent and Mozart In The Jungle were both nominated, alongside Netflix prison series Orange Is The New Black and Hulu show Casual. The final two nominees were political satire Veep and Silicon Valley.
The Golden Globes will be presented at the Beverly Hilton on January 10, in a ceremony hosted by Ricky Gervais.