KEY POINTS:
As the awards season progresses and the Academy Awards draw closer, firm favourites are emerging in this year's Oscar race.
After a surprise win at Sunday's Screen Actor's Guild Awards for Outstanding Cast in a Movie, Little Miss Sunshine has gone from being a dark horse in the Best Picture category, to a strong contender for the illustrious prize.
The off-beat comedy also scored a Producers Guild Award for Best Picture, a Broadcast Film Critics Award for Best Acting Ensemble and was named as one of the American Film Institute's top ten films of 2006.
Alejandro González Iárritu's international drama Babel also made the AFI list and took home a Golden Globe for Best Picture.
But Martin Scorsese's gangster flick The Departed may yet win the prize, with a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Picture already under its belt.
Scorsese also looks to be a favourite to take out the Best Director category, after claiming three Best Director trophies at earlier award ceremonies.
While the Best Picture and Best Director categories are still open to surprise, Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker appear to have the acting categories all stitched up.
Mirren and Whitaker have both claimed top acting prizes at the SAG Awards, Golden Globes, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards and the National Board of Review Awards.
Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson are also cleaning up with their roles in Dreamgirls, but may yet be usurped by Djimon Hounsou and Rinko Kikuchi, who both took home National Board of Review Awards late last year.
Check out our awards tally below, to see track the progress of this year's contenders throughout the awards season.
Babel
Golden Globe - Best Motion Picture
American Film Institute Awards 2006 - Top Ten Films
National Board of Review Awards - Breakthrough Performance - Rinko Kikuchi
Dreamgirls
Golden Globe Awards - Best Supporting Actor - Eddie Murphy; Best Supporting Actress - Jennifer Hudson
SAG Awards - Best Supporting Actor - Eddie Murphy; Best Supporting Actress - Jennifer Hudson
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards - Best Supporting Actor - Eddie Murphy; Best Supporting Actress - Jennifer Hudson
National Board of Review Awards - Breakthrough Performance - Jennifer Hudson
Little Miss Sunshine
SAG Awards - Outstanding cast in a movie
Producers Guild Awards - Best Picture
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards - Best Acting Ensemble
American Film Institute Awards 2006 - Top Ten Films
The Last King of Scotland
SAG Awards - Best Actor - Forest Whitaker
Golden Globe Awards - Best Actor - Forest Whitaker
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards - Best Actor - Forest Whitaker
National Board of Review Awards - Best Actor - Forest Whitaker
The Queen
SAG Awards - Best Actress - Helen Mirren
Golden Globe Awards - Best Actress - Helen Mirren
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards - Best Actress - Helen Mirren
National Board of Review Awards - Best Actress - Helen Mirren
The Departed
Golden Globe Awards - Best Director - Martin Scorsese
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards - Best Picture; Best Director - Martin Scorsese
National Board of Review Awards - Best Acting by an Ensemble; Best Director - Martin Scorsese
Letters from Iwo Jima
American Film Institute Awards 2006 - Top Ten Films
National Board of Review Awards - Best Film
United 93
American Film Institute Awards 2006 - Top Ten Films
Blood Diamond
National Board of Review Awards - Best Supporting Actor - Djimon Hounsou
