Jamie Foxx, "Ray"
Career nominations: 2

To say that 2004 was a banner year for the former stand-up comic is an understatement. Foxx has become one of Hollywood's foremost dramatic leading men, thanks to his Oscar-nominated performance as the late R&B singer Ray Charles in "Ray" and his supporting actor nod in "Collateral" as an L.A. cabby held hostage by a sociopathic hit man. Foxx has received numerous best actor awards for his work in "Ray," from such organizations as the National Board of Review, National Society of Film Critics and the Broadcast Film Critics Assn. Foxx, 37, was the recipient of the Golden Globe for best actor in a musical or comedy for "Ray."

(Nicole Goode / Universal Studios)