The SAG Awards Wake Up Awards Season – front mezz junkies, Theater News

Frontmezzjunkies reports: The Screen Actors Guild Awards Crown New Favourites

By Ross

I will confess something right off the bat. While the Screen Actors Guild Awards streamed live on Netflix last night, I was instead bathing in the warm escapism of “Bridgerton“, still sadly adjusting to my first cold winter’s eve back in North America after many a warm week in Colombia. Awards season waits for no one, of course, and this morning’s ritual became familiar territory, with coffee in hand, scrolling through winners, speeches, and surprises to see where the industry’s mood had landed.

What emerged from the 2026 ceremony was a night that felt unusually decisive. The vampire drama “Sinners” claimed the evening’s top film honor, winning Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, while its star Michael B. Jordan also took home the award for leading actor. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film now moves into the final stretch of awards season with undeniable momentum, especially as the Oscars approach later this month (March 15th). Coogler also made history, becoming the first director to helm two ensemble winners at the ceremony, following his earlier triumph with “Black Panther“.

On the television side, the evening belonged largely to industry satire and medical intensity. Apple TV+’s “The Studio” emerged as the biggest comedy winner, earning three awards, including ensemble in a comedy series, while HBO Max’s hospital drama “The Pitt” secured ensemble in a drama series alongside a lead actor win for Noah Wyle. The results reinforced how strongly performance-driven television continues to dominate the conversation, with actors rewarding work that foregrounds collaboration rather than spectacle.

Several acting races delivered memorable moments. Jessie Buckley, naturally, won the leading actress award for “Hamnet“, securing her as a full-on favourite for the Oscar. While supporting honors went to Sean Penn for “One Battle After Another” (watch for my review posting soon) and Amy Madigan for her scene-stealing turn in “Weapons,” a film that looks too scary for me to watch, much like “Sinners“, unfortunately (for me). Madigan’s remark that actors simply love being around other actors captured the spirit of a ceremony that often feels less like competition and more like a weird but wonderful family reunion.

Television produced one of the night’s genuine surprises when Keri Russell won drama series actress for “The Diplomat“, upsetting many predictions. Comedy honors went to Seth Rogen for “The Studio“, while the late Catherine O’Hara received a posthumous win for comedy actress, a moment that added unexpected poignancy to the broadcast (see the clip below). In limited series categories, Michelle Williams and young breakout Owen Cooper claimed victories that signaled a continued appetite for emotionally intimate storytelling.

The ceremony also paused to recognize a stellar lifetime in front of the camera, honoring Harrison Ford with the Lifetime Achievement Award. His self-deprecating acceptance speech, reflecting on simply still being alive and present among working actors, drew one of the evening’s warmest responses.

Renamed the Actor Awards last November, the ceremony remains one of the clearest indicators of how performers view the year’s work. If awards season often feels shaped by critics or industry strategists, this particular stop on the circuit carries a different energy. Actors voting for actors tends to reward emotional connection over narrative momentum. And that’s a good vantage point for the whole season.

These morning’s results clearly seem to point towards a sharper narrative heading into the Oscars. “Sinners” has momentum, television ensembles are being celebrated for collaboration, and audiences once again find themselves watching the race shift overnight, whether they tuned in live or, like me, caught up after the snow settled. And if you want to see exactly how the actors voted, the full list of nominees and winners is waiting just below.

Cast Ensemble in a Motion Picture

“Frankenstein” (Netflix)
“Hamnet” (Focus Features)
“Marty Supreme” (A24)
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) (WINNER)

Male Actor in a Leading Role

Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme” (A24)
Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) (WINNER)
Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia” (Focus Features)

Female Actor in a Leading Role

Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet” (Focus Features) (WINNER)
Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (A24)
Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features)
Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Emma Stone, “Bugonia” (Focus Features)

Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Miles Caton, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Benicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
Paul Mescal, “Hamnet” (Focus Features)
Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) (WINNER)

Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Odessa A’zion, “Marty Supreme” (A24)
Ariana Grande, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
Amy Madigan, “Weapons” (Warner Bros.) (WINNER)
Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)

Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
“Frankenstein” (Netflix)
“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” (Paramount Pictures) (WINNER)
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)

TV Categories

Cast Ensemble in a Drama Series

“The Diplomat” (Netflix)
“Landman” (Paramount+)
“The Pitt” (HBO Max) (WINNER)
“Severance” (Apple TV)
“The White Lotus” (HBO Max)

Cast Ensemble in a Comedy Series

“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
“The Bear” (FX)
“Hacks” (HBO Max)
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
“The Studio” (Apple TV) (WINNER)

Male Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” (Hulu)
Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV)
Walton Goggins, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” (Apple TV)
Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” (HBO Max) (WINNER)

Female Actor in a Drama Series

Britt Lower, “Severance” (Apple TV)
Parker Posey, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
Keri Russell, “The Diplomat” (Netflix) (WINNER)
Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)
Aimee Lou Wood, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)

Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Ike Barinholtz, “The Studio” (Apple TV)
Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
Ted Danson, “A Man on the Inside” (Netflix)
Seth Rogen, “The Studio” (Apple TV) (WINNER)
Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)

Female Actor in a Comedy Series

Kathryn Hahn, “The Studio” (Apple TV)
Catherine O’Hara, “The Studio” (Apple TV) (WINNER)
Jenna Ortega, “Wednesday” (Netflix)
Jean Smart, “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Kristen Wiig, “Palm Royale” (Apple TV)

Male Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series

Jason Bateman, “Black Rabbit” (Netflix)
Owen Cooper, “Adolescence” (Netflix) (WINNER)
Stephen Graham, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (Netflix)
Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)

Female Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series

Claire Danes, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)
Erin Doherty, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Sarah Snook, “All Her Fault” (Peacock)
Christine Tremarco, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Michelle Williams, “Dying for Sex” (FX) (WINNER)