With the Golden Globe awards being handed out this weekend, the Oscar race for Best Supporting Actor will be clearer.

The Golden Globes are usually a good indicator of who will win the Academy Award. In the past five years, the past five winners have all gone on to win the Oscar.

This year, the five nominees at the Globes are likely to get Oscar nominations. The first nominee in the category is Robert Duvall for his performance in "The Judge." His standing in the race is the weakest of all because his film scored mixed reviews and has not picked up the awards buzz pundits initially expected. Additionally, Duvall could be cut out of the Academy race, especially with such a crowded slate. Duvall has also not won a single award for his performance other than the Hollywood Film Award, which is predetermined and not a competitive prize.

Mark Ruffalo is also nominated for his work in "Foxcatcher." His performance in the film is among the finest and it has picked up a few critics' awards. However, his movie has lost a lot of steam in the past few months. While "Foxcatcher" is nominated for Best Picture, the drama is bleak and most Globe voters dislike this type of film. Additionally, the movie has not played well with critics and the Critics' Choice awards snubbed it for Best Picture. As for Ruffalo's performance, his work is very subtle and does not have the big gestures performers are awarded for.

Another performance nominated in the category is Ethan Hawke for his work in "Boyhood." Hawke's performances crosses the span of 12 years and it is among his finest in years. However, he has been overlooked by his co-star Patricia Arquette, who is winning the majority of the awards. Hawke has not won a single precursor award and he will most likely not get the Globe either. Unless "Boyhood" has multiple fans and can sweep the race, Hawke is likely to walk away empty handed.

Edward Norton, on the other hand is likely to win his second Golden Globe for his work in "Birdman." The actor has won a slew of precursor awards and is nominated for the most popular awards film thus far. His performance is also extremely showy and "Birdman" is nominated for the most Golden Globes. However, Norton has not swept the precursor awards as he has only won five including the National Board of Review. He has lost most of them to J.K. Simmons, the actor who is likely to win the Globe and the Oscar. Like Hawke, unless "Birdman" sweeps, Norton will win,

The clear front-runner is J.K. Simmons for his work on "Whiplash." The actor's performance has been a favorite throughout precursor awards as he has won 17 prizes, including the New York Film Critics and the Boston Film critics. His performance is also the type of showy work awards organizations usually like to award. Additionally, Simmons is known for his comedic work and this performance showcases the actor in a different role.

However, Simmons' film is not nominated for Best Picture at the Globes. This could be negative for his campaign as three of the performances come from three Best Picture nominees. Nevertheless, "Whiplash" has grown in strength over the past few weeks as it scored nominations at the Critics' Choice and the Producers Guild of America. While the movie is not nominated for the Globe, the film will likely be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. With support from other organizations, it is likely Simmons will win his first Golden Globe.