Oscar 2015 Predictions, Best Actress: Why Julianne Moore Will Win Her First Academy Award

By Francisco Salazar Jan 27 2015, 16:30 PM EST

The Best Actress prize is one of the most sought after awards and one that is among the greatest honors for a performance.

This year the category is made up of two previous winners, one five-time nominee and two new nominees. While it is a competitive race, one actress is the clear favorite.

That actress will join previous winners Cate Blanchett ("Blue Jasmine"), Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings Playbook"), Meryl Streep ("The Iron Lady"), and Natalie Portman ("Black Swan"). Latin Post breaks down who will win Best Actress at the 2015 Academy Awards:

Marion Cotillard, "Two Days, One Night"

For her work in the Jean Pierre and Luc Dardenne's film, Cotillard received her second Oscar nomination. She was previously nominated and won for her turn as Edith Piaf in 2007. The nomination for "Two Days, One Night" was the biggest surprise in the actress race because Cotillard was under the radar throughout awards season. The film was originally chosen as Belgium's Oscar submission but failed to make the nine-film shortlist. After that, many pundits expected the film to be snubbed in all categories. However, Cotillard was a critics' favorite as she won a number of precursor awards including the New York Film Critics and was nominated for the Critics' Choice awards. It also helped that Cotillard had been snubbed back in 2012 for her work in "Rust and Bone." Cotillard continues to be one of the rare actresses who is nominated for foreign films and not for her English roles. This is very rare at the Academy Awards especially because the organization prefers English performances. This year Cotillard is unlikely to win her second especially after having been snubbed by the SAG, Golden Globes and BAFTAs. Her award is being among the top five best performances of the year.

Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"

Jones received her first Academy Award nomination for her turn as Jane Hawking. The actress is known for her breakout turn in "Like Crazy" and "The Invisible Woman." Over the years, Jones has been under the radar, and for her work in this film, she has truly become a recognizable face in the United States. For her work in the film, she has received Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics' Choice and SAG nominations. However, she has failed to win a single award. This is in part due to the fact that most organizations are awarding her co-star Eddie Redmayne for his lead work. Jones will most likely go home empty-handed this year at the Academy but this nomination is likely to get more lead roles in higher profile films.

Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"

For her work in "Still Alice," Moore received her fifth nomination. The actress has not been nominated in 12 years, and she has previously been recognized for "Far From Heaven," "The Hours," "The End of the Affair" and "Boogie Nights." Between 2002 and 2014, the actress has dedicated herself to do a lot of strong supporting work in such film as "A Single Man," "Children of Men," "I'm Not There," "What Maisie Knew" and "The Kids Are All Right." Respected as one of the great actresses of her generation, Moore's performance is the front-runner in the category. After having premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, Sony Pictures Classics acquired it and immediately made the Academy push. While she did not win Critics' Circle because of the strange release pattern Sony opted for, Moore has already received the Golden Globe, the SAG award and the Critics' Choice. She will most likely win the BAFTA Award and later win her first Academy Award.

Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"

Pike received her first Academy Award nomination for her work in David Fincher's latest thriller. The actress was unknown before her work in "Gone Girl" and was previously seen in "An Education," "Pride and Prejudice" and "The World's End." For her performance, Pike has been nominated for the BAFTA, SAG, Critics' Choice and Golden Globe. She also won awards at the Detroit and Kansas Film Critics among other awards. This year she is unlikely to win the award especially since her film did not receive the enthusiasm most pundits expected. Additionally, her character is unlikeable, and the Academy usually likes to reward sympathetic characters. Like Jones, Pike's nomination will open doors for future roles.

Reese Witherspoon, "Wild": After nine years since her win for "Walk the Line," Witherspoon received her second Academy Award nomination. Throughout the past nine years, Witherspoon was dedicated to making comedies and romances. However, in 2013 she returned to the dramatic roles in "Mud," and in 2014, she was featured in "The Good Lie," and "Inherent Vice." For her turn in "Wild" Witherspoon received rave reviews, and many critics noted it was the best work of her career. Her performance has been nominated for all the major prizes including the BAFTA, SAG, Critics' Choice and Golden Globe. However, she has been unsuccessful in winning a single precursor. Expect her work to go home empty-handed on Oscar Sunday.