TOP TIPS FOR OSCAR GLORY; AHEAD OF SUNDAY'S BIG NIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD, DAVID EDWARDS PREDICTS WHO'LL BE WALKING AWAY WITH THE GOLDEN STATUETTES.

Byline: DAVID EDWARDS

BEST PICTURE

With eight nominations apiece, it looks like a two-horse race between There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men. Superb films both, it's the former that deserves to triumph. One of the finest films ever made, it's also the bookies' favourite. Us Brits will be cheering along the BAFTA-winning Atonement, which is nominated in a respectable seven categories.

PREDICTION: There Will Be Blood

DARK HORSE: No Country For Old Men

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Britain's Daniel Day-Lewis (below) is the red-hot favourite to scoop the gong for his powerhouse turn in There Will Be Blood. Despite four other big talents on the list - George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Tommy Lee Jones and Viggo Mortensen - it's hard to call any of them a serious challenge to Day-Lewis' magisterial BAFTA winning performance.

PREDICTION: Daniel Day-Lewis

DARK HORSE: Tommy Lee Jones (In The Valley Of Elah)

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

A tough one to call. The Academy likes to honour stars who dress up as real-life characters, making Cate Blanchett a natural choice for period drama Elizabeth: The Golden Age. But Julie Christie delivers the standout performance in Away From Her, while France's Marion Cotillard is a strong contender for the Edith Piaf biopic La Vie En Rose.

PREDICTION: Julie Christie

DARK HORSE: Marion Cotillard

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Having already won a leading man gong in 2006 for Capote, it would be the stuff of dreams for Philip Seymour Hoffman to triumph once again. He's in with a good chance for a memorable turn in the otherwise ordinary Charlie Wilson's War. Mind you, I'm going with the herd and backing favourite Javier Bardem (below), for his portrayal of a memorably cold-blooded killer in No Country For Old Men

PREDICTION: Javier Bardem

DARK HORSE: Philip Seymour Hoffman

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Nominated for playing the legendary Bob Dylan in the biopic I'm Not There, Cate Blanchett turned in a sublime performance in one of the most talked about films of 2007. Her only serious challenger in this Oscar category is Amy Ryan - terrific as a single mum whose daughter is abducted in the controversial Gone Baby Gone.

PREDICTION: Cate Blanchett

DARK HORSE: Amy Ryan

DIRECTING

Again, my money's on There Will Be Blood, in the shape of director Paul Thomas Anderson (below). If you're lucky enough to have seen this brilliant drama about an oil man in the Old West, you'll know what I mean. But no Oscars night is without its surprises - Julian Schnabel might just steal it for The Diving Bell And The Butterfly. Watch out, too, for the Coen brothers (No Country For Old Men).

PREDICTION: Paul Thomas Anderson

DARK HORSE: Julian Schnabel

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CAPTION(S):

SUPERB: There Will Be Blood; STANDOUT: Julie Christie; SUBLIME: Cate Blanchett