Best Actress

Halle Berry
Monster's Ball
Halle Berry, as lovely as she is, hasn't always had it easy. Things, however, have been looking up for Berry who fought to play the role of a young black mother who becomes emotionally and sexually involved with the redneck southern prison guard (Billy Bob Thornton) who played a key role in the execution of her husband. Monster's Ball director Marc Forster initially resisted casting Berry in the role, unconvinced she could portray a bereaved, poverty-stricken black mother struggling to survive in rural Georgia. She fought tirelessly to convince both him and Thornton that she was the perfect actress for the job. Looks like she was right.

Judi Dench
Iris
Although Britain's Judi Dench is known primarily for her numerous stage appearances, over the last few years she has delivered many memorable performances on the big screen. She is being recognized by the Academy for her portrayal of the elder Iris Murdoch in Iris, a role she seems like she was born to play as she captures every nuance of Murdoch's life. The film is based on the true story of the 40-year romance between novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch and John Bayley (portrayed by Jim Broadbent), from meeting as teachers at Oxford, all the way through to Murdoch's fight with

Alzheimer's disease. In 1998, Dench picked up a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her brief appearance as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love.

Nicole Kidman
Moulin Rouge
Despite a roller coaster year that included a huge loss in her personal life, Nicole Kidman came out on top with two strong performances in 2001 (her other film was The Others). Her surprise divorce from superstar hubby Tom Cruise devastated Kidman, but she bravely faced the media and her fans to discuss her role in the musical, Moulin Rouge. The Hollywood Foreign press rewarded Kidman for her hard work with a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a musical or comedy. Kidman is incandescent in the film, a diamond that still manages to sparkle amidst the blinding colors and raucous excess that surrounds her.

Sissy Spacek
In the Bedroom
She's already won praise from most of the top film critics and picked up a Best Actress Golden Globe for her moving performance as a grieving mother whose son was murdered in the hard hitting drama, In The Bedroom. Spacek is compelling as Ruth Fowler, the kind-hearted high school teacher who becomes closed and unforgiving to the world. The last time Spacek received an Oscar was in 1980 for her portrayal of Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter. This time out she's a quietly ticking time bomb whose eventual explosion is as terrifying as it is real.

Renée Zellweger
Bridget Jones's Diary
You've got to hand it to this bright-eyed, versatile actress. Renée Zellweger put her heart, soul and some weight behind the title role in Bridget Jones's Diary - and it paid off. She worked hard to live up to the character that millions have come to love by reading Helen Fielding's best-selling novel. Zellweger transformed herself physically into the zaftig Jones by gaining about 20 pounds. She also aced the British accent - not bad for a girl from Texas - and came off as likeable, funny and altogether a joy to watch as she fumbled her way through life. This is Zellweger's first Oscar nomination, however she did pick up a Golden Globe in 2000, for her performance in the black comedy, Nurse Betty.