Canadians walked away empty handed at the Golden Globes last night as the film and TV awards made a return after a year off the air.

Famed Kapuskasing, Ontario-born filmmaker James Cameron lost in the best director category for “Avatar: The Way of Water,” to Steven Spielberg for “The Fabelmans.”

Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical film also took the best drama motion picture.

Toronto’s Sarah Polley was up for best screenplay for her women-led drama “Women Talking, but that award went to Martin McDonagh and “The Banshees of Inisherin.”

Other Canadian contenders who lost out included the Toronto-set coming-of-age adventure “Turning Red” by Domee Shi in the best-animated film category.   That award went to Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio.”

In what many considered an upset, Brendan Fraser did not win for his lead role in “The Whale,” a prize that was picked up by Austin Butler for “Elvis.”