Fashion & Beauty

Who to watch on the red carpet this awards season

The Golden Globes seek to prize the most outstanding, critically-acclaimed, tear-jerking, laughter-inducing, thought-provoking and all-around awesome performances of the year.

But let’s be real — it’s all about the clothes.

To honor the honors, we’ve bestowed our own set of awards: the year’s best sartorial accomplishments. Whether for a particular fashion moment or for overall exceptional style, these categories praise the best of the dressed. No need for multiple contenders — most were clear champs, and a majority were even nominated for the real deal. Watch for these stars to wow this red carpet season, beginning with Sunday’s 71st Golden Globe Awards (8 p.m. ET on NBC).

Best Dressed Motion Picture Actress

Cate BlanchettAndrew H. Walker/Getty Images for DIFF

And the winner is: Cate Blanchett

There’s no outperforming Cate Blanchett. Sure, the actress soared as a fallen socialite in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine,” but she also did the fashion set a big solid by setting the sartorial bar on the red carpet.

With her Old Hollywood beauty and elegance, it would be easy for Blanchett to get by in pretty, safe-bet gowns; instead, the Aussie often plays against type with a taste for forward-thinking designs from labels like Christopher Kane and Valentino. Cate the Great ruled in a regal caped number by the latter just last month at the Dubai International Film Festival’s opening gala.

Best Dressed Actress in a TV Series

Kerry WashingtonJason Merritt/Getty Images

And the winner is: Kerry Washington

On “Scandal,” Kerry Washington plays a powerful political publicist and the best-dressed working woman on TV.

Her real-life fashion chops are even more impressive, with a penchant for florals a la Marchesa and Giambattista Valli, whose strapless cocktail dress she wore at a Beverly Hills BAFTA event back in September.

Just chalk it up to Washington’s style astuteness — she simply knows what works for her. And yes, from feminine blossoms to razor-chic structured pieces, that’s practically everything. Hail Kerry.

Best Comedic Chic

Julia Louis-DreyfusJason LaVeris/FilmMagic

And the winner is: Julia Louis-Dreyfus

In case you hadn’t noticed, Elaine Benes has never looked better.

Louis-Dreyfus, who keeps it skirt-suit-conservative on “Veep,” vamps it up off-screen in Dolce & Gabanna, Emilio Pucci and other designers partial to form-fitting shapes and slits. Combining tasteful sex appeal and signature humor is a hard-to-beat combo.

Case in point: the Monique Lhuillier gown the comedienne wore to the Emmys in September. If you thought style was exclusive to serious acting stars, the joke is on you.

Best Foreign Language Style Star

Lea SeydouxAudrey Poree/Abaca/startraksphoto.com

And the winner is: Léa Seydoux

Funny the controversy surrounding “Blue is the Warmest Color” concerns the absence of clothes, since its star, Léa Seydoux, is making a splash on the international fashion scene with her effortless je ne sais quoi style (damn those French!).

A connoisseur of Prada, Isabel Marant and Elie Saab, Seydoux is also the face of Miu Miu alongside “Blue” co-star Adèle Exarchopoulos, and graced the cover of W magazine in October. Just two weeks ago, mademoiselle proved blue is certainly the chicest color at a premier in Paris — in head-to-toe Louis Vuitton, bien sûr.

Best Dramatic Ensemble

Jennifer LawrenceJordan Strauss/Invision/AP

And the winner is: Jennifer Lawrence

Lawrence deserves this accolade on two fronts: one for chopping her long locks into a pixie cut, another for the voluminous Dior gown she flaunted at the “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” premiere in Los Angeles in November.

It was long, sweeping, and . . . completely sheer.

Luckily, transparent works when the body revealed is as — if not more — attractive as the garments themselves.

Best Animated Outfit

Lupita Nyong’oPhil McCarten/UPI

And the winner is: Lupita Nyong’o

She may have appeared from nowhere, but take one look at Lupita Nyong’o and it’s clear the “12 Years a Slave” actress is no style novice.

The Yale-grad with acting cred aced every red carpet appearance to become the award season’s breakout star. One of her best fashion feats came in October by way of Miu Miu at a Directors Guild screening in West Hollywood.

The fancifully printed, pale-pink dress, awash in swirls of color, was the perfect choice for Nyong’o, who brought the quirky runway look to life with natural grace and effervescence.

Best Mini (Dress!)

Rooney MaraStefania D'Alessandro/WireImage

And the winner is: Rooney Mara

“Mini” typically implies skimpy, but for high-concept designer darlings like Rooney Mara, it’s simply a jumping off point for something more poignant.

In November, the “Her” actress wowed at the Rome International Film Festival in an ethereal Balenciaga dress — short and strapless — encased in a sheer overlay that was part bride, part beetle.

The effect was simultaneously nostalgic and futuristic; the moment, another red-carpet triumph for the girl with the dragon tattoo.

Best Supporting Accessory

Scarlett JohanssonElisabetta A. Villa/WireImage

And the winner is: Scarlett Johansson

Since Scarlett Johansson’s best accessory is arguably her bosom, the actress’ choice of adornment at the Venice Film Festival in September delivered quite the double whammy.

Fashion critics swooned over the actress’ Bulgari necklace, which sparkled in an ombre of pink, blue and green stones and popped in brilliant contrast to her black Versace gown.

With such va-va-voom, it’s almost a shame her role in “Her” was limited to just her voice.

Best Original Style

Naomie HarrisMarion Curtis/StarPix

And the winner is: Naomie Harris

Naomie Harris is “It” girl of the cinema circuit, and is steadily dominating the fashion one, too.

But what separates her from other “It” girls is her talent. Beyond acting chops, the “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” actress boasts a refreshing beauty; she doesn’t shock or reinvent the wheel with her outfit choices, but rather works clothes in a way that are true to her personal style and spirit — sophisticated, adventurous, fun. The Valentino dress she wore to a New York premiere in November is a prime example.

Best Screen Print

Michelle DockeryPatrick McMullan/ PatrickMcMullan.com

And the winner is: Michelle Dockery

Will “Downton Abbey” ever see the digital age? In fact, it already has.

Back in September, Michelle Dockery debuted a digital print Mary Katrantzou dress to a Vanity Fair fete in New York, sporting the bucolic landscapes with which her character’s so familiar on her back.

The trend doesn’t always go over so well, but true to form, the ever-so-refined Lady Mary pulled it off with great aplomb, and we haven’t seen it done better since.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Jessica LangeSteve Granitz/WireImage

And the winner is: Jessica Lange

From ’70s “King Kong” ingénue to present-day acting powerhouse on “American Horror Story: Coven,” there’s no denying the allure of Jessica Lange.

The blonde beauty and one-time bride of Mikhail Baryshnikov has been owning red carpets for decades with her inimitable presence and ensembles that transcend trend. For the Emmys in September, the answer was Escada — beaded, black and utterly bewitching.