The Awards season is upon us and most critics say this year is a good one. There are so many possibilities for the Best Picture award and the same observation applies to the Best Actor category.

However, the list is a little short on the actress category, and it will probably stir some Hollywood sexist accusations. That's another story.

For now, the best actor category presents a dilemma for the Academy and other awards giving bodies. To further emphasize the point, some actors deserve nominations for two different performances.

One of those distinguished gentlemen is Christian Bale. The former Dark Knight has two Oscar worthy performances in "Out of the Furnace" and "American Hustle." Pundits have noted that it might work against him, as the award is 'best performance by an actor' not the actor himself. It cannot be 'any of the Christian Bale movies,' it has to be specific to a performance.

Another bet for Best Actor is Leonardo diCaprio. He has long been regarded as a talented actor like Bale, but an Oscar is always elusive for him. Critics rave that his "The Wolf of Wall Street" performance is a career best. The question is, will it be the best this year?

An Oscar veteran with 2 wins and three nominations, Tom Hanks as "Captain Phillips" is classic Oscar material. Yet, that might be the cause of its downfall. The Academy has been known to sympathize with non-winners as opposed to those who have already  won it, especially multiple and consecutive times like Hanks. Since his double whammy in 1993-1994, he has not won again. It's like an unofficial disqualification.

The Best Actor race could use some diversity (pardon the pun) as a relative newcomer like Chiwetel Ejiafor might just win it all.  His performance in "12 Years A Slave" is truly 'brilliant' (Indiewire) , and anything less than a nomination would be considered a crime.

While that is an awesome list, we cannot leave out The National Board of Review Best Actor Awardee Matthew McConaughey for "Dallas Buyers Club" (who narrowly edged Ejiafor) Robert Redford in "All Is Lost" and Joaquin Phoenix in the refreshingly fascinating "Her."

The Academy always lists five nominees, except for Best Picture when they once had ten nominees. It is highly unlikely for that to change.