Downton Abbey has bagged four nominations for Golden Globe awards as America's love affair with British period drama shows no sign of abating.

The ITV1 drama series, filmed at Highclere Castle, Berkshire, is up for best miniseries or movie. Elizabeth McGovern and Hugh Bonneville are nominated for best actress and actor awards respectively, while Maggie Smith is in the running for best supporting actress in a miniseries or movie.

Downton, which is made by NBC Universal's UK production subsidiary Carnival Films, won six awards at the Emmys in September.

At the Golden Globes it faces competition from BBC2's 1950s newsroom drama The Hour – dubbed Britain's Mad Men – whose stars, Romola Garai and Dominic West, are also up for acting gongs.

In a category dominated by British acting talent, West and Bonneville will do battle with Bill Nighy, who took the lead role in Page Eight, David Hare's feature-length spy story for BBC2, and Idris Elba, who plays the eponymous Luther in the BBC crime series for best actor in a miniseries or movie.

Kate Winslet is nominated as best actress for Mildred Pierce, which is also in the best miniseries category, while Kelly Macdonald, who starred in Boardwalk Empire, is nominated for best supporting actress.

In the best actor, drama, section, Jeremy Irons (The Borgias) goes head-to-head with Damian Lewis (Homeland).

American shows dominating the nominations include Modern Family, Game of Thrones, Cinema Verite and 30 Rock.

The 69th annual Golden Globes awards will be presented on 15 January in Hollywood.