Rings epic could Lord it on Oscars night

Peter Jackson is favourite to win best director for his work in bringing the Tolkien trilogy to the big screen.

Some industry insiders are tipping Peter Weir, director of seafaring epic Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, to pull of a surprise victory.

British hopes rest with Jude Law, Sir Ben Kingsley and Samantha Morton.

Law has been nominated for Cold Mountain and Kingsley for House of Sand and Fog, both in the best actor category, while Samantha Morton has earned a best actress nomination for In America.

But all three are rank outsiders and this could be the year Britain is left empty-handed.

Hardest-fought category at the ceremony in Los Angeles will be best actor.

It is too close to call between Bill Murray, for his role in Lost In Translation, and Sean Penn, for his performance in Mystic River.

A split vote may leave the way open for Johnny Depp, whose OTT turn in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl earned him an unexpected best actor prize at last week’s Screen Actors Guild awards.

Charlize Theron is favourite to scoop best actress for her critically-acclaimed performance in Monster.

But if 13-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes wins the award, it will be the story of the night.

The schoolgirl is the star of New Zealand film Whale Rider and is the youngest actress nominated for the award. This was her first ever acting role.

Renee Zellweger is favourite to win best supporting actress for Cold Mountain and Tim Robbins is tipped to win best supporting actor for Mystic River.

Britain’s other main hope rests with Steve Knight, who is in the running for best original screenplay for Dirty Pretty Things.

Sting and Elvis Costello are each nominated for best original song, for their contributions to the Cold Mountain score, and Annie Lennox for The Return of the King.

Coverage of the awards begins on BBC1 at 12.50am on Monday.