The Best Actress race is one of the most predictable races at this year's Academy Awards. The race includes four previous winners and one five-time nominee. This year one actress has dominated every single award and with the amount of the wins she's won it is unlikely she will lose. In the past years, Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings Playbook"), Meryl Streep ("The Iron Lady"), Natalie Portman ("Black Swan"), Sandra Bullock, Kate Winslet ("The Blind Side"), and Marion Cotillard ("La Vie en Rose") have all taken home the award in this category.
Amy Adams - "American Hustle" - The nomination for Adams was one of the biggest surprises of the season as many pundits expected Emma Thompson to be nominated for Best Actress for her role in "Saving Mr. Banks." Adams instead garnered her first Best Actress nomination and fifth overall Academy Award nomination. She had previously been shortlisted in the Supporting Actress category for her work in "Junebug," "The Master," "Doubt," and "The Fighter." This year Adams won the Golden Globe in the Best Comedy category and was nominated for the BAFTA awards. She took home a Critics Choice award for Best Comedy but failed to get nominated in the Best Actress category. She was also neglected at the SAG Awards and as a result it is unlikely Adams stands a chance. While the actress is overdue for an Oscar she will have to wait again.
Cate Blanchett - "Blue Jasmine" - It has been a while since Blanchett was nominated for an Oscar but this year she leads the race; for her performance in "Blue Jasmine" the Australian received her sixth Oscar nomination and is likely to win. She was previously nominated for "Notes on a Scandal," "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," "Elizabeth," "I'm Not There," and "The Aviator," for which she won in the Supporting Actress category. Blanchett has 26 precursor award victories this season including the Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG and Critics Choice. While many pundits have said that the recent Woody Allen controversy could hurt her chances of winning, the fact that she was able to pull off a win at the BAFTAs is tribute to the fact that awards organizations are voting on the performance and not the scandals. After having swept every single award, Blanchett is undoubtedly the front-runner to win.
Sandra Bullock - "Gravity" - After Bullock won the Oscar for "The Blind Side," pundits said it was unlikely she had any chance of getting nominated or winning another Academy Award. However, the actress proved everyone wrong and received her second Best Actress nomination. Bullock has not won any major awards throughout precursor season but she still managed to take home five critics accolades. The extraordinary performance by Bullock could prove to be a challenge for the Academy to get around especially because at the moment the Academy is only taking a look at the technical achievements of her film "Gravity." When the Oscars have nominated a film driven by visual effects, the Academy has always failed to look at the performances. This occurred with "Hugo," "Life of Pi," "Avatar," "Inception," and even "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." As a result, don't expect Bullock to receive an Academy Award this year.
Judi Dench - "Philomena" - It's been seven years since Judi Dench was nominated for an Oscar and this year she is receiving her seventh. She was previously nominated for "Notes on a Scandal," "Miss Henderson Presents," "Iris," "Chocolat," "Miss Brown," and "Shakespeare in Love," for which she won in the Supporting category. This year Dench was not an active campaigner but she still managed to get nominated for the Golden Globe, SAG, Critics' Choice and BAFTA awards. However, she failed to win a single precursor and her film barely made the Best Picture list. Additionally, while it showcases Dench's comic timing and her sensitive, sweet side, the performance is far from the showy acting the Academy tends to award. As a result, Dench will not win her second Oscar.
Meryl Streep - "August: Osage County" - Every time Streep makes a film, there will always be Oscar talk and this year was no exception. The most decorated actress of our time garnered her 18th Oscar nomination. She had previously won three for her work in "The Iron Lady," "Sophie's Choice" and "Kramer vs. Kramer." In "August: Osage County" the actress gives an extraordinary performance that was nominated for the SAG, Golden Globe, and Critics' Choice awards but somehow failed to win a single award. Having won just two years ago the Academy will want to spread the wealth elsewhere, and given her track record, expect a number of nominations for Streep down the line.
Predictions: Cate Blanchett has been the favorite since "Blue Jasmine" was released and with the amount of accolades she has taken home already, expect her to win her second Academy Award.