- Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There

- Kelly Macdonald - No Country for Old Men

- Samantha Morton - Control

- Saoirse Ronan - Atonement

- Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Cate Blanchett

This is the second nomination for Cate Blanchett at this year's BAFTAs having also been nominated for Best Actress for Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

38 year-old Cate is already an Academy Award and BAFTA winner, as well as scooping the Volpi Cup at 64th International Venice Film Festival for her role as Jude Quinn in ‘I’m Not there’.

‘I'm Not There’ is a biographical film reflecting the life of musician Bob Dylan. It depicts the iconic singer-songwriter through seven distinct stages of his life by using six different actors (Marcus Carl Franklin, Ben Whishaw, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, and Cate Blanchett), though all six characters have names other than Bob Dylan.

The title ‘I'm Not There’ is a reference to the Dylan outtake recorded during The Basement Tapes (Sessions) and production began in late July 2006 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

It premiered at the 34th Telluride Film Festival on August 31st and won the Grand Jury Prize and Best Actress honours for Blanchett at the 64th Venice Film Festival.

She has also been nominated in both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards, in the supporting category she is heavy favourite to win.

Kelly Macdonald

Kelly Macdonald is just another member of the No Country For Old Men cast that has received a nomination at this year's BAFTAs.

The Glasgow born actress has made her name in Brit flick Trainspotting as Dianne, the underage seducer of Renton.

She went on to appear in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Finding Neverland. But she led the all star cast of Gosford Park as Mary Maceachran, maid to Constance, Countess of Trentham (Maggie Smith).

The actress has also had success in television starring in drama series State of Play and one off drama The Girl in the Cafe, written by Richard Curtis and starring Bill Nighy.

For her role in the drama she was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2006 and won an Emmy.

In No Country for Old Men the actress plays Carla Jean wife of Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin). Moss places his wife in danger when he steals a briefcase of money and hitman Anton Chigurh is hired to retrieve it.

Despite being praised by critics for her performance this is the first awards ceremony were her role has been recognised.

Samantha Morton

Samantha Morton is one of this country's best actresses and moves effortlessly from television dramas to the big screen.

In Control she plays the downtrodden wife of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis.

Recalling Curtis’ aspirations that reached beyond the trappings of small town life in 1970s Northern England, and his desire to emulate his musical heroes, such as David Bowie and Iggy Pop, we follow Curtis as he joins a band and begins to thrive.

Married to Deborah at a young age, Curtis is distracted from his family commitments by a new love and the growing expectations of his band.

However, his battle with epilepsy adds to his depression and surrendering to the weight on his shoulders, Curtis finally commits suicide at the age of 23, finally finding the peace that had escaped him in life.

The talk of the festival circuit during the summer of 2007, and winner of five prestigious BIFA awards, Control is one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year, and a British cinematic triumph.

For her role as Myra Hindley in television drama film Longford the actress won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.

She was also nominated at the Emmys in Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie category for her performance.

Saoirse Ronan

The thirteen year old Irish actress joins the more well established talent in this category after receiving a nomination for her role in Atonment as Briony Tallis.

It's 1935 and thirteen year old Briony Tallis, an aspiring writer with a wild imagination, is fascinated by the behaviour of the adults around her, despite not understanding what they are doing.

She witnesses two strange encounters between her older sister Cecilia and Robbie, a family friend and son of the cook.

She believes, after reading a letter from Robbie to Cecilia, that Robbie is a dangerous, sex crazed individual.

When she walks in on Robbie and Cecilia making love in the library, which she believes to be an attack on her sister, her suspicions about Robbie are confirmed.

Later that night their cousin Lola is raped in the grounds of their house and Briony accuses Robbie of the crime.

The three main character's lives pivot on this one event: Robbie is sent to prison before going to fight for his country in the Second World War, Cecilia leaves her family behind and becomes a nurse in blitz London, and Briony spends her whole life attempting to atone for her mistake.

Despite co-stars Keira Knightley and James McAvoy being over-looked in the Best Actor and Best Actress categories at this year's Oscars Saoirse was a surprise inclusion in the Best Supporting Actress category and could become one of the youngest ever winner of an Academy Award.

Tilda Swinton

Tilda Swinton has received another nominated for her role in Michael Clayton after being on the shortlist at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Clooney plays a burnt-out lawyer and professional 'fixer' who gets caught up in events that surrounded a corporate cover up.

Clooney once again gives a mightily impressive performance as Clayton showing the character's many layers giving him genuine depth as he discovers what kind of person he is.

There are also some great support performances in particular Tom Wilkinson as Arthur Edens, who suffers a serious meltdown, and Tilda Swinton's murderous company chief counsel.

Over the years Swinton has moved effortlessly between big blockbuster movies like Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Beach to the more independent movies such as Young Adam and The Statement.

But for her latest role in Michael Clayton Swinton has received rave reviews as her emotionally cold persona is portrayed superbly and used to great effect.

Tip to win BAFTA's Best Supporting Actress award - Cate Blanchett for I'm Not There

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw