It’s that time of year again, as Hollywood’s finest find themselves, with alarming regularity, donning outfits that cost more than your house and jewellery worth more than you will earn in a lifetime. But awards season is all building to one supreme event, the Empire Awards Oscars on February 26. Ahead of that milestone, we assess the chances of each nominee in the major categories, and see who’s looking good ahead of the big night…
Why She Will Win
](http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/640/480/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/l/uploaded/oscarwin.jpg) This is Close’ sixth nomination; she has yet to win. If anyone’s due the prize, it’s her. ![]%28http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/640/480/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/l/uploaded/oscarwin.jpg%29 Her performance is fantastic – and Oscar has awarded gender-bending performances in the past: see Linda Hunt for The Year Of Living Dangerously and Hilary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry. 
](http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/640/480/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/l/uploaded/oscarloss.jpg) While the Damages ratings are good, they ain’t *that* good. ![]%28http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/640/480/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/l/uploaded/oscarloss.jpg%29 The film did very little business at the box office and is by far the lowest-grossing nominee, which is traditionally a bad sign. ![
Why She Will Win