Hollywood set for actors' awards

Kevin Spacey was the toast of last year's awards

Hollywood actors are preparing to recognise their peers with the nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards - the last major awards announcement before the Oscars.

The US actors' union will announce its nominees on Tuesday afternoon in five film categories - lead and supporting roles for men and women, plus a performance by a film cast.

Eight TV categories will also be covered.

Front runners include Golden Globe winners Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks - for Erin Brockovich and Cast Away respectively - as well as Gladiator star Russell Crowe and Michael Douglas, for his leading role in Wonder Boys.

The SAG's trophy: The Actor

Laura Linney is also tipped for a nomination for her role in family drama You Can Count On Me, as well as Joan Allen, who plays a vice-presidential candidate in political thriller The Contender.

Charlie's Angels star Lucy Liu and Cary Elwes, the British star of Shadow of the Vampire, will make the announcement at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) headquarters in Hollywood.

Oscars indicator

The guild's awards are seen as a relatively accurate indicator of what will win at the Academy Awards.

Of the 12 past SAG winners in the leading film acting categories, 10 have picked up Oscars.

Last year, Kevin Spacey took the best actor SAG prize for American Beauty, and followed it up with an Oscar.

But co-star Annette Bening, who took best actress at the SAG awards, lost out at the Oscars to Hilary Swank for Boys Don't Cry.

In supporting categories, seven out of 13 SAG winners have gone on to receive Oscars.

Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee will be honoured on the night

Nominees are chosen by 4,200 randomly selected members of the union, with the full membership of 98,000 eligible to choose the winners.

Both the nominations and the award ceremonies happen two weeks before their Oscar equivalents, with the SAG awards taking place on 11 March.

Two winners have already been announced - husband and wife team Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee will win the guild's lifetime achievement honour.

Married since 1948, Davis and Dee made their film debuts in 1950 with Sidney Poitier No Way Out. More recently they have collaborated with Spike Lee in films such as Do The Right Thing.