Matthew McConaughey, Cate Blanchett Oscar Leaders After SAG

Cate Blanchett and Matthew McConaughey emerged as Oscar front-runners following their SAG wins. (Photos: Getty Images)

Blanchett, 44, who looked stunning in a pale pink Givenchy dress, won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine.” McConaughey won the actor’s drama award for “Dallas Buyers Club.”

McConaughey won the Critics Choice Award and the Golden Globe for drama, so he almost seems to have a lock on an Oscar. But Leonardo diCaprio can’t be counted out. He won a Globe for best actor in a comedy and has been nominated four times for an Oscar. Academy members may think he’s due.

Top 2014 Oscar Acting Awards Contenders

Guide: ♣ Our Pick; ♥ Favorite; ♦ Front Runner; ♠ Dark Horse

BEST ACTOR Christian Bale, American Hustle Bruce Dern, Nebraska ♠ Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave ♥ Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club ♣ ♦ BEST ACTRESS Amy Adams, American Hustle ♥ Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine ♣ ♦ Sandra Bullock, Gravity Judi Dench, Philomena ♠ Meryl Streep, August: Osage County SUPPORTING ACTOR Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips Bradley Cooper, American Hustle ♥ ♦ Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street ♠ Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club ♣ SUPPORTING ACTRESS Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine ♠ Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle ♦ Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave ♣ Julia Roberts, August: Osage County ♥ June Squibb, Nebraska

Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave,” also remains a strong dark-horse contender. Christian Bale, “American Hustle” and Bruce Dern, “Nebraska,” are also in the Oscar hunt.

At the SAG awards, Blanchett topped Sandra Bullock, “Gravity,” Judi Dench, “Philomena,” Meryl Streep, “August: Osage County,” and Emma Thompson for “Saving Mr. Banks.”

So far, the Australian actress has swept the major awards, with wins at the Globes and Critic’s Choice Awards. But Bullock cant’ be counted out. She picked up a critics award for Best Actress in an Action Movie, although the category doesn’t line up with an Oscar.

She’ll face Bullock, Dench and Streep again at the Oscars, along with Amy Adams, “American Hustle,” who won the Golden Globe for best actress in a musical or comedy. Adams was passed over for a SAG nomination.

In the supporting actor category, Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club,” emerged as the clear front runner. He added a SAG win to his Globe and Critics Choice awards.

He’ll go up against SAG rivals Barkhad Abdi, “Captain Phillips,” and Michael Fassbender, “12 Years a Slave” at the Oscars and face new competition from Bradley Cooper, “American Hustle” and Jonah Hill, “The Wolf of Wall Street. Both Hill and Cooper are solid dark-horse contenders.

Nyong’o has the momentum going into the Oscars with her SAG and Critic’s Choice wins, but Lawrence, who won the Golden Globe, is still a strong contender for the Oscar.

They will both face strong Oscar competition from Julia Roberts, “August: Osage County,” while Sally Hawkins, “Blue Jasmine” is a legitimate dark-horse contender. June Squibb, “Nebraska,” is also in the Oscar hunt.