1. Daniel Day-Lewis - Best Actor
"Why did Daniel Day-Lewis have to make a film THIS year?!" said EVERY other nominee in the category. In the strongest category not named Best Picture, every single one of the nominees turned in career-best performances. Joaquin Phoenix was ferocious in The Master, Bradley Cooper was heart-warming and heartbreaking in Silver Linings Playbook, Hugh Jackman was nearly unrecognisable in Les Miserables, and Denzel Washington blew his Oscar winning performance in Training Day out of the water with his performance in Flight. But it is Daniel Day-Lewis' category to win (or lose, whatever floats your boat) because of his larger than life, tour-de-force performance as the 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln, Steven Spielberg's horse in the Oscar race. While the film is very good though overrated, it is undeniable that DDL is mesmerising in the title role, further cementing his status as the best actor on the planet; he can read the phone-book and be the greatest actor on the planet. In any other year, every single one of these nominees could win this category, but such is life when you go up against the greatest. Damn you DDL, damn you! So what do you guys think? Do you think any other categories are locks? Let's hear it in the comments section!