Welcome back Mel Gibson.
After 10 years as a Hollywood outcast, the Australian-raised actor and filmmaker said he was "appreciative" after being welcomed back into the fold for directing Hacksaw Ridge, the World War II drama set on the Japanese island battleground of Okinawa but shot in Sydney and rural NSW.
Gibson was one of the big Australian winners at the Golden Globes nomination ceremony in Beverly Hills on Monday where he bumped Hollywood directing titans Martin Scorsese (Silence) and Clint Eastwood (Sully) out of the category.
Hacksaw Ridge was also a best picture-drama nominee and the film's US-born, British-raised star Andrew Garfield who played Desmond Doss, a US pacifist and combat medic, received a best actor-drama nod.
"I'm very appreciative," Gibson, who was shunned in 2006 after being accused of anti-Semitic, racist and sexist slurs, said in a statement.
"This film was a labor of love for everyone involved and is also about a man who truly exemplified love and goodness."
Gibson will have to cause a major upset to win the Globe.
La La Land director Damien Chazelle is the runaway favourite, followed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea) and Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals),
La La Land dominated the ceremony with seven nominations ahead of Moonlight's six.
The Globes, considered a significant test before next month's Oscar nominations, also honoured Nicole Kidman with a supporting actress nod for her Australian-made drama Lion.
It was the 11th Golden Globe nomination of Kidman's career.
Kidman's competition is Viola Davis (Fences), Naomie Harris (Moonlight),
Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) and Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea).
Lion will also go up against Hacksaw Ridge for best picture-drama.
The other films competing in the drama category are Manchester By The Sea, Moonlight and Hell Or High Water.
Lion's Dev Patel also scored a Globe supporting actor nomination, but the Globes are a blow to the Oscar prospects of the film's Australian director Garth Davis and screenwriter Luke Davies who were snubbed.
Garfield will compete for best actor against Sydney's Edgerton.
Edgerton, nominated for Loving, and Garfield face tough competition from short-priced favourite Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) and Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic ) and Denzel Washington (Fences).
The Globes differ to the Oscars as they split many of their categories with separate drama and comedy/musical awards.
The films up for best comedy/musical are red hot favourite La La Land, 20th Century Women, Florence Foster Jenkins, Sing Street and in a surprise, superhero movie Deadpool.
Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds and War Dogs' Jonah Hill were also eyebrow-raising nominees for best comedy/musical actor, with La La Land's Ryan Gosling at short odds to win.
The best actress in a comedy/musical category is between Annette Bening (20th Century Women), Lily Collins (Rules Don't Apply), Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen), Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) and favourite Emma Stone (La La Land).
The best actress in a drama category are favourite Natalie Portman (Jackie), Amy Adams (Arrival), Jessica Chastian (Miss Sloane), Ruth Negga (Loving) and Isabelle Huppert (Elle).
The Golden Globes ceremony will be held in Beverly Hills on January 8.
The Oscar nominations are announced on January 24 and the winners revealed on February 26 at the 89th Academy Awards.
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