The Oscars will be announced in Los Angeles on Sunday night (Monday morning in India). The following have been nominated for the best actress Oscar:
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married: She started out as a teen star in "The Princess Diaries" in 2001. Now thanks to her role as a recovering addict who comes home for her sister's wedding and sparks a family war, Hathaway has a chance of becoming true Hollywood royalty. Roles in movies such as "Havoc" and "Brokeback Mountain" helped Hathaway, 25, steer her path away from teen movies to be taken seriously as an actress. At the same time, with her performances in "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Get Smart" she proved she can still see the funny side of things.
Angelina Jolie, Changeling: She plays a woman who discovers that the child returned to her after the kidnapping of her son is an imposter. The daughter of former Hollywood star Jon Voight, Jolie, 32, has built her career on her own terms, going from her early image as a wild child to a United Nations goodwill ambassador and mama extraordinaire. Along the way she's also made a few movies, including "Girl, Interrupted" - for which she won a best supporting actress Oscar, "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", "Mr & Mrs Smith", "A Mighty Heart" and "Wanted".
Melissa Leo, Frozen River: A veteran TV and film actress who, until her nomination for the Oscar this year, was best known for playing a no-nonsense detective for four years in the award-winning series "Homicide: Life on the Street". Leo's other movies include "21 Grams" and "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada". In "Frozen River", she plays a hard-up working class woman who turns to smuggling Chinese immigrants across the US-Canada border to make ends meet.
Meryl Streep, Doubt: A true Hollywood legend, Streep holds the record for Oscar nominations and whenever she feels like working you can pencil her in for a prize. This time around she gets the nod for her portrayal of a Catholic school principal who is convinced that a priest is having an inappropriate relationship with a choir boy. She made her debut in the 1977 movie "Julia" and has since earned wide acclaim for a huge variety of roles. Among her films are "Deer Hunter", "Kramer vs Kramer", "The French Lieutenant's Woman", "Sophie's Choice", "Silkwood", "The Bridges of Madison County", "Adaptation", "The Hours", "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Mamma Mia".
{{/usCountry}}Meryl Streep, Doubt: A true Hollywood legend, Streep holds the record for Oscar nominations and whenever she feels like working you can pencil her in for a prize. This time around she gets the nod for her portrayal of a Catholic school principal who is convinced that a priest is having an inappropriate relationship with a choir boy. She made her debut in the 1977 movie "Julia" and has since earned wide acclaim for a huge variety of roles. Among her films are "Deer Hunter", "Kramer vs Kramer", "The French Lieutenant's Woman", "Sophie's Choice", "Silkwood", "The Bridges of Madison County", "Adaptation", "The Hours", "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Mamma Mia".
{{/usCountry}}Kate Winslet, The Reader: Regarded as the most talented British actress of her generation, Winslet, 33, could have taken an easy road to superstardom after featuring in "Titanic" in 1997. She chose, however, to remain true to her art, choosing numerous offbeat films to star in - "Hideous Kinky", "Quills" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" to name just three. Her other films include "Heavenly Creatures", "The Life of David Gale", "Sense and Sensibility" and "Finding Neverland". She has six Oscar nominations in total, a record for someone her age.
Oscar bet: Jolie's role is not one of her best, the Academy has acknowledged the performances of underdogs Leo and Hathaway, so it comes down to a contest between the ever-popular Streep and Winslet. After six nominations it's probably time for Winslet to get her due.