With the 86th Annual Academy Awards just a couple of days away - here is a look at the nominees of the best actress category.

First up is Amy Adams, who earned her fifth Oscar nod for her lead role in "American Hustle."

In the film she plays a con woman alongside con man Christian Bale, forced to work for an unconventional FBI agent.

Next up is Australian actress Cate Blanchett who got her sixth Oscar nomination for her role in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine" as a down-on-her-luck former socialite.

The 44-year-old is considered a heavy favorite, after she swept all the lead actress prizes so far this year.

Sandra Bullock got her second nomination for her role in the special effects-rich film "Gravity."

Bullock plays an astronaut adrift in open space trying to get back to Earth.

Dame Judi Dench is in the mix with her seventh Oscar nod as an Irish woman in search for her son in "Philomena."

The 79-year-old actress has previously won an Oscar