Jackman beat out nominees Jack Black, Bradley Cooper, Ewan McGregor and Bill Murray to win the category in which he was the heavy favourite.

Live: Golden Globe Award winners

Hugh gave a gracious and heartfelt speech as he accepted the award.

"Wow — thank you," a seemingly surprised Jackman said as he took the stage at the Beverly Hilton hotel.

In his speech, the actor revealed early struggles he had in the role, suggesting he considered pulling out of director Tom Hooper's adaptation of the film after disastrous rehearsals, but his supportive wife Deborra-Lee Furness talked him out of it.

"Three weeks before we started filming, we had a terrible day of rehearsal, a humiliating day," he said.

He recalled saying to his wife "I have to ring (director Tom Hooper), tell him someone else should play the role. I've bitten off more than I can chew.

"My wife talked me off the cliff like she talks me (down) most days."

He thanked an impressive list of colleagues on the film, but the greatest praise went to Deborra-Lee who he introduced to the audience as the most wonderful woman in the world.

"Baby, I will say it in front of the entire world — thank you for always being right, baby. I love you."

The achievement boosts Jackman's Oscar hopes, confirming him as the second favourite for the best actor award, behind Daniel Day-Lewis for his role in Lincoln.

Day-Lewis won the Golden Globe for best actor in a drama.

The Golden Globe Awards split the best actor category in two, but the Oscars will see the two winners go head-to-head.

The Golden Globe win follows a week in which Jackman was nominated for both an Oscar and a BAFTA award.

In pictures: Best-dressed at the 2013 Golden Globes

He was also the only Australian nominee to win his category, with fellow Aussies Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban and Naomi Watts all missing out.

The film that earned Jackman his golden moment, Les Miserables, took out the title for best musical or comedy film, and co-star Anne Hathaway was recognised for her role as Fantine, earning her the statue for best supporting actress.

The complete list of 2013 Golden Globe award winners:

MOTION PICTURES:

Best drama film: Argo (winner), Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty.

Best comedy or musical film: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Les Miserables (winner), Moonrise Kingdom, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Silver Linings Playbook.

Best director: Ben Affleck, Argo (winner); Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty; Ang Li, Life of Pi; Steven Spielberg, Lincoln;Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained.

Best actor, drama: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln (winner); Richard Gere, Arbitrage; John Hawkes, The Sessions; Joaquin Phoenix, The Master; Denzel Washington, Flight.

Best actress, drama: Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty (winner); Marion Cotillard, Rust & Bone; Helen Mirren, Hitchcock; Naomi Watts, The Impossible; Richard Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea.

Best actor, musical or comedy: Jack Black, Bernie; Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook; Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables (winner); Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen; Bill Murray, Hyde Park On Hudson.

Best actress, musical or comedy: Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen; Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel; Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook (winner); Maggie Smith, Quartet; Meryl Streep, Hope Springs.

Best supporting actor: Alan Arkin, Argo; Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained; Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master; Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln; Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained (winner).

Best supporting actress: Amy Adams, The Master; Sally Field, Lincoln; Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables (winner); Helen Hunt, The Sessions; Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy.

Best foreign language film: Amour (French)(winner); A Royal Affair (Danish); The Intouchables (French); Kon-Tiki (Norwegian); Rust and Bone (Franco-Belgian).

Best screenplay: Zero Dark Thirty; Lincoln; Django Unchained (winner); Argo; Silver Linings Playbook.

Best original score: Anna Karenina; Argo; Cloud Atlas; Life of Pi (winner); Lincoln.

Best animated feature: Brave (winner); Frankenweenie; Hotel Transylvania; Rise of the Guardians; Wreck-It-Ralph.

TELEVISION:

Best series, drama: Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Homeland (winner), The Newsroom.

Best actor, drama: Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire; Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad; Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom; Jon Hamm, Mad Men; Damian Lewis, Homeland (winner).

Best actress, drama: Connie Britton, Nashville; Glenn Close, Damages; Claire Danes, Homeland (winner); Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey; Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife.

Best series, musical or comedy: The Big Bang Theory, Episodes, Girls (winner), Modern Family, Smash.

Best actress, musical or comedy: Zooey Deschanel, New Girl; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep; Lena Dunham, Girls (winner); Tina Fey, 30 Rock; Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation.

Best actor, musical or comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock; Don Cheadle, House of Lies (winner); Louis C.K. Louie, Matt LeBlanc, Episodes; Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory.

Best miniseries or movie: Game Change (winner), The Girl, Hatfields & McCoys, The Hour, Political Animals.

Best actress, miniseries or movie: Nicole Kidman, Hemingway & Gellhorn; Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum; Sienna Miller, The Girl; Julianne Moore, Game Change (winner); Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals.

Best actor, miniseries or movie: Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys (winner); Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock (Masterpiece) ; Woody Harrelson, Game Change; Toby Jones, The Girl; Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn.

Best supporting actress, series, miniseries or movie: Hayden Panettiere, Nashville; Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife; Sarah Paulson, Game Change; Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey (winner); Sofia Vergara, Modern Family.

Best supporting actor, series, miniseries or movie: Max Greenfield, New Girl; Ed Harris, Game Change (winner); Danny Huston, Magic City; Mandy Patinkin, Homeland; Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family.

Cecil B. DeMille Award: Jodie Foster (winner)