The 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were handed out tonight in a one-hour, pre-taped ceremony. Last year’s awards, which were held in January 2020, boosted eventual Oscar Best Picture winner Parasite’s chances when the South Korean film took home the film ensemble prize. This year’s awards may prove similarly influential, though Best Picture frontrunner Nomadland wasn’t even nominated for the acting group’s top prize.
Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah) and the late Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) cemented their status as Oscar frontrunners after also winning Golden Globes in February. Actresses Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday), Rosamund Pike (I Care a Lot), and Jodie Foster (The Mauritanian) all weren’t nominated by SAG, paving the way for wins for Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) and Yuh-jung Youn (Minari), who triumphed over expected frontrunners Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) and Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), respectively. Youn, who wasn’t a nominee at the Golden Globes, created the night’s most heartwarming moment, when the South Korean actress described how she was so honored to be recognized by Westerners, checking with fellow nominees if her English was right, to which they all nodded enthusiastically and approvingly. The Trial of the Chicago 7 won the best ensemble prize, giving it a leg up in its quest to take down Nomadland at the Oscars.
On the TV side, there weren’t many surprises, with an almost complete repeat of the winning Golden Globe slate.
Schitt’s Creek took home the comedy ensemble prize, and Catherine O’Hara was crowned best comedy actress. Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) won best comedy actor, while the limited series acting trophies went to Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit) and Mark Ruffalo (I Know This Much Is True). Gillian Anderson defeated two of her costars from The Crown, Olivia Colman and Emma Corrin, and the regal series scored the drama ensemble prize for the second year in a row. The only TV winner who didn’t also take home a Golden Globe, Jason Bateman, scored his second trophy as best drama actor for Ozark.
Complete list of winners:
Male Actor in a Leading Role: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Female Actor in a Leading Role: Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari
Cast in a Motion Picture: The Trial of the Chicago 7
Television Awards
Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series: Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True
Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series: Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit
Male Actor in a Comedy Series: Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Female Actor in a Comedy Series: Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Ensemble in a Comedy Series: Schitt’s Creek
Male Actor in a Drama Series: Jason Bateman, Ozark
Female Actor in a Drama Series: Gillian Anderson, The Crown
Ensemble in a Drama Series: The Crown