Oscars 2015: Best Actress Predictions

The most coveted of all awards for female thespians, the list of actresses who have won the Oscar for Best Actress reads like a hall of fame of actresses. Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Vivien Leigh, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Kate Winslett, Jennifer Lawrence and Cate Blanchett are just some of the illustrious actresses who have been crowned the year's best female performance by the Academy in past years. It's quite an impressive list that any ingénue with Hollywood stardom on the mind would love to join, but only one actress each year may be added to the list. Which new actress will join the prestigious list this year? Or may a previous winner add on to their Oscar tally? As has become the trend in recent years, the list of actresses with a legitimate shot at contending for the award isn't exactly overflowing. With precursor awards' nomination lists from groups such as the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, and the Broadcast Film Critics Association having an almost identical lineup, it appears this year's Best Actress nominees may already be set in stone. However, the slightly askew nature of this year's Oscar race, with many of the studios "heavy hitters" playing second fiddle to indie films such as Boyhood, may prove the 2015 Oscar nominations to be more prone to surprise candidates than usual. For now though, the following five leading ladies, listed from least likely to be nominated to most likely to be nominated, will probably end up being this year's roster of Best Actress nominees. Although here's to hoping for a surprise or two come January 15.