Nicole Kidman is now William Hill’s favourite to win Best Actress at this year’s Academy Awards, priced at 11-8.

The Big Little Lies actress is expected to be nominated for her performance as comedian Lucille Ball in her biopic Being the Ricardos – despite facing initial backlash to her casting in the film.

Although many thought other nominees to take home the statue, Kidman took home Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama win at this year’s Golden Globes – making award history as the first person to win the Best Actress Golden Globe in four separate decades.

She is now William Hill’s favourite to shake up the Oscars and knocks long-standing favourite Kristen Stewart off the top spot.

Stewart, who is now 7-4 for her title role in Pablo Larraín’s Spencer, recently revealed that she and Kidman were supposed to star together in the 2002 film Panic Room, before the Australian actress had to pull out due to injury.

Other top contenders in the 94th Academy Awards Best Actress category include Olivia Colman for her performance in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter, priced at 9-2. If Colman were to win, this would make her a two-time Oscar lead winner.

Jessica Chastain is another contender – priced at 6-1 – for her title role in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, which follows the rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker.

William Hill has Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog (13-8), Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast (15-8) and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (5-2) up for Best Picture, as well as markets on Best Actor and Best Director.