Leonardo DiCaprio may have the endorsement of a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Howard Hughes in The Aviator, but sheer force of will appears to be propelling Jamie Foxx towards his first Oscar win. No one, it seems, wants to win the award more than Foxx, and the fact he's nominated in two acting categories shows he has indeed performed his way to the top of voters' minds.

But the combination of his impressive Ray Charles imitation with a perennial Oscar-favourite -- portraying disabled characters -- may not be enough to overcome the Academy's reluctance to reward relative newcomers.

In that case, young Hollywood veteran Leonardo DiCaprio could ride the momentum of his Golden Globe win, for playing Howard Hughes in The Aviator, to his first Oscar. Similarly, Clint Eastwood could capitalize on his surprise nomination to take home the first acting Oscar of his long career in movies -- just don't hold your breath, punk.

Johnny Depp will get an Oscar one day, but it won't be for his play-it-safe portrayal of Peter Pan creator JM Barrie in Finding Neverland. And first-time nominee Don Cheadle, though tugging heart strings in the kind of triumph-over-adversity story loved by the Academy, won't be called to the stage either. Instead, he'll be sent home with the consolation he was one of the five actors who helped set a new record for the number of black nominees up for an Oscar.