Beverly Hills, Calif. ? The Howard Hughes epic “The Aviator” and the road-trip romp “Sideways” earned best-picture Golden Globes on Sunday, boosting their status as front-runners for the upcoming Academy Awards.

“The Aviator” won for best dramatic film, giving it an edge at the Oscars, which favor heavyweight drama. “Sideways” won for comedy film.

Jamie Foxx of the Ray Charles film biography “Ray,” Hilary Swank of the boxing saga “Million Dollar Baby,” Annette Bening of the showbiz comedy “Being Julia” and Leonardo DiCaprio of “The Aviator” also boosted their Oscar odds by winning the top acting Globes.

“Can I just tell you that I am having the ride of my life right now?” said Foxx, considered the favorite to win the best-actor Oscar for his uncanny emulation of Ray Charles, who died last year. “I wish I could take what I’m feeling right now and put it in the water system, and we would all love each other a whole lot more.”

Earning a record three Globe nominations, Foxx lost in his other two categories, supporting movie actor for “Collateral” and actor in a TV movie or miniseries for “Redemption.”

Bening won for best actress in a movie musical or comedy, playing an aging stage diva in 1930s London who plots gleeful revenge against the men in her life.

Swank’s and Bening’s Golden Globe wins set up an Oscar rematch between the actresses, who competed against each other five years ago for best actress. Underdog Swank won the Golden Globe and Oscar for “Boys Don’t Cry” over Bening, who had been considered the favorite for “American Beauty.”

Clint Eastwood won the directing honor for “Million Dollar Baby,” solidifying his chances to win the same honor at the Oscars.

Natalie Portman and Clive Owen won supporting-actor honors for the sex drama “Closer,” their wins coming as something of a surprise.

Actor Jamie Foxx portrays American musical legend Ray Charles in a scene from the biographical movie Ray. Foxx led all actors with three Golden Globe nominations but won only one, as best actor in a musical or comedy for Ray.

The Globes serve as the most prominent ceremony leading up to the Academy Awards on Feb. 27. The awards are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.

Television categories

In the TV categories, “Desperate Housewives” won for best musical or comedy series, while Teri Hatcher beat her co-stars Marcia Cross and Felicity Huffman for best actress in a TV comedy.

“Nip/Tuck” won for best dramatic TV series, while “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers” took the Globe for best TV movie or miniseries and Jason Bateman of “Arrested Development” was honored as best actor in a comedy series.

Other TV winners included Mariska Hargitay of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” as dramatic actress, Ian McShane as dramatic actor for “Deadwood,” Anjelica Huston as supporting actress for the suffrage film “Iron Jawed Angels,” and William Shatner as supporting actor for “Boston Legal.”

DeMille Award

Robin Williams, a five-time Globe winner for such films as “The Fisher King” and “Good Morning, Vietnam,” received the Cecil B. DeMille award for career achievement. Williams dedicated his award to the late Christopher Reeve, who died last year.

Williams’ manic acceptance speech included jibes at the foreign-press group’s occasionally embarrassing history, such as presenting Pia Zadora with the best newcomer award for her movie flop “Butterfly” two years after giving Williams the same honor for “Mork & Mindy.”

But Williams praised the group for having a separate category for comedy, which often is overlooked in other Hollywood movie honors. “You allow us to be in the room with the adults,” Williams said.