This year's Academy Award nominees have been scrutinized for lacking in diversity and for not showing support to other races and cultures. Nevertheless the nominees this year for Best Actress show a range of performances from diverse films.

The winner of this category will join recent Best Actress winners Julianne Moore ("Still Alice"), Cate Blanchett ("Blue Jasmine"), Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings Playbook") and Meryl Streep ("The Iron Lady").

Cate Blanchett - "Carol": Blanchett received her sixth Oscar nomination at the Academy Awards for her role in Todd Haynes' "Carol." Blanchett is a two-time Oscar winner, as she has taken home the Oscar in both lead and supporting actress categories for her roles in "Blue Jasmine" and "The Aviator." This year Blanchett has been nominated for every single major award but has failed to win a single precursor. Her film "Carol" was also snubbed for Best Picture, which shows the lack of support for the film. Additionally, Blanchett won two years ago so it is likely she will receive her third Oscar so soon.

Brie Larson - "Room": Two years ago Larson broke out with her role in "Short Term 12" and that put her on the radar as a star to look out for. Now Larson is the front-runner to receive her first Oscar for her first nomination. The actress has won numerous precursor awards including the Golden Globe, the National Board of Review, as well as the Critics' Choice. While the SAG awards have yet to hand out their awards, expect Larson to walk home with it next week.

Jennifer Lawrence - "Joy": Lawrence received her fourth nomination at the Oscars and became the youngest actress to receive four nominations. The actress was ignored throughout awards season and her nomination was a huge surprise given the overcrowded race. Additionally, the film was not well received by critics. Her biggest award this year came when she won her third Golden Globe in the Best Comedy Actress category. Lawrence won the Oscar in 2012 for "Silver Linings Playbook" so do not expect this to be her second one.

Charlotte Rampling - "45 Years": After a number of years working in the industry the legendary actress received her first Oscar nomination. At the age of 69 the actress is one of the most respected thespians in the industry but interestingly the Oscar has eluded her. For her performance in Andrew Haigh's "45 Years" the actress won the Berlin Film festival award for Best Actress and later went on to win awards with the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Boston Film Critics. However, she was snubbed from the Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA awards. As a result, it is unlikely she will win her first Oscar.

Saoirse Ronan - "Brooklyn": Ronan received her second Oscar nomination for her work on John Crowley's film. The actress was nominated in 2007 for her work in "Atonement." This year Ronan has won numerous awards for her work on "Brooklyn" including the New York Film Critics. She has also been nominated for the SAG, BAFTA and Golden Globe. However, "Brooklyn" was only nominated for three Oscars and it does not seem like the film will go home with any big awards,

Predictions: Brie Larson will likely win her first Academy Award after winning the Golden Globe, SAG and Critic's' Choice.