The year is still to come to end, but the race to Oscar 2014 has begun. Here are the top predictions for the best actor nominees for the Academy Award 2014:

Leonardo Di Caprio: Martin Scorsese 'The Wolf of Wall Street" stars Leonardo Di Caprio and Matthew McConaughey in the lead roles and looking at the buzz the film has generated, we won't be shocked if Caprio and McConaughey become the strong contenders for the race to Oscars. In his fifth collaboration with Scorsese, Leonardo plays stockbroker Jordan Belfort and from the trailer Caprio looks quite convincing in his act of a womanizer, party animal and heavy drinker.

Matthew McConaughey: Apart from playing a mentor to Leonardo Di Caprio in "The Wolf of Wall Street," Matthew McConaughey will also been seen playing a victim of AIDS in the film 'The Dallas Buyers Club'. A biopic about Ron Woodroof, who starts smuggling alternative medicine for HIV with a transgender woman played by Jared Leto, brought Matthew's acting skills in limelight for the Oscar win.

Tom Hanks: The two time winner, Tom Hanks is once again in the league with his roles in 'Saving Mr. Banks and "Captain Phillips". In "Saving Mr. Banks" Tom Hanks is in a supporting role as Mr. Walt Disney and in "Captain Phillips" he is fighting pirates.

Chiwetel Ejiofer: The front runner at this point is 'Twelve Years a Slave' Actor, Chiwetel Ejiofer. For his role, Ejiofer has received immense critical appreciation. The Golden Globe and BAFTA award-winner is sure to give some tough competition to Oscar 2014 best actor nominees.

The other actors who have given an Oscar worthy performance are Forest Whitaker in "Lee Daniels' The Butler", Robert Redford in "All is Lost", Oscar Isaac in "Inside Llewyn Davis'.