Award Season Favs: Could This be Leo's Year?

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Despite nearly two decades as one of Hollywood's most acclaimed actors, Leonardo DiCaprio has yet to win an Oscar, but ET senior producer and resident film critic Sharlette Hambrick believes that this year could change all that.

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"Leo is the actor to beat," Hambrick said after seeing an early screening of The Wolf of Wall Street. "He is explosive -- he's doing drugs, there's profanity, there's nudity and there's corruption. He's all grown up and in your face."

Still, if DiCaprio is to go home victorious this award season, he'll have to beat out Tom Hanks' performance in Captains Phillips and Chiwetel Ejiofor's turn as Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave.

The Best Actress category is heating up as well with Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), Meryl Streep (August: Osage County) and Sandra Bullock (Gravity) all vying for high honors.

Julia Roberts and Jennifer Lawrence could be neck-in-neck for their supporting roles in August: Osage County and American Hustle, respectively, but Hambrick pointed out a sleeper that may come as a surprise.

"We can't forget Oprah Winfrey," said Hambrick. "In The Butler, that slap alone is award-winning."

According to Hambrick, Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street (opening Christmas Day) has come from behind to be the top contender in the Best Picture category -- a field full of tough challengers such as David O. Russell's American Hustle and Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave.