6. Brie Larson: Best Actress

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8QxAYxNRgs&w=584&h=390]

This year’s Best Actress race is kind of boring, as every single likely nominee (according to Gold Derby predictions) has been nominated before. If there’s a newcomer in the mix, I’m holding out for Brie Larson, the indie darling who broke out in a big way with this year’s South by Southwest phenomenon, Short Term 12. Larson’s always been superb, but she knocks it out of the park here, giving a layered, intimate performance both arresting and truly affecting.