James Cameron’s epic “Avatar” takes the highest honors at the Golden Globes with the science fiction fantasy named the best drama and the filmmaker was honored as best director. Avatar is set on a fictional planet called Pandora, a distant four light years from Earth.  The film blends cutting edge 3D technology with a sci-fi fantasy theme.

An exuberant Cameron told his fellow Hollywood filmmakers, actors and actresses, that they have the greatest jobs in the world.  “I’m very grateful to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, especially on behalf of all the artists that it took to make this film, to create this world, every blade of grass and every creature in it,” he said.

Cameron expressed surprise when picking up his best director award. “Frankly, I thought Kathryn was gonna get this,” he said, referring to his ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow, hotly tipped for her work behind the camera on Iraq bomb-disposal drama The Hurt Locker. “But make no mistake,” he continued, “I’m very grateful.”

Sandra Bullock was honored for her starring role in the sports drama The Blind Side and the acting prizes for musical and comedy went to Meryl Streep for the Julia Child story ‘Julie & Julia’ with Robert Downey Jr for the crime romp Sherlock Holmes.