Rafu Wire and Staff Reports
Nominations were unveiled Wednesday for the 28th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, with the casts of “Belfast,” “CODA,” “Don’t Look Up,” “House of Gucci” and “King Richard” named as contenders in the best motion picture category days after a lackluster Golden Globe Awards ceremony that garnered little attention.
The SAG Awards are highly coveted by performers because they are bestowed by fellow actors. They are also traditionally a strong indicator of which performers will achieve success on Oscar night.
“House of Gucci” and “The Power of the Dog” earned the most film nominations with three each. “Succession” and “Ted Lasso” were nominated for the most television SAG Awards with five each.
“King Richard” also landed Will Smith a nod for best actor for his performance as the father of Venus and Serena Williams. He will be up against Denzel Washington for his Shakespearean turn in “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Andrew Garfield for “tick, tick…Boom!,” Benedict Cumberbatch for “The Power of the Dog,” and Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz in “Being the Ricardos.”
Nicole Kidman will vie for best actress for her portrayal of Lucille Ball in “Being the Ricardos.” Other nominated performances in that category include Lady Gaga for “House of Gucci,” Olivia Colman for “The Lost Daughter,” Jessica Chastain for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” and Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin in “Respect.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award will go to Helen Mirren.
Netflix, which was able to compete in both the motion picture and television categories, boasted the most nominations of any studio or network, with a total of 17 prizes at stake. HBO/HBO Max, with its combined cable and streaming platform, came in a close second overall with 14 television nominations, leading that particular category. Apple TV Plus picked up 12 nods across the two categories, with Hulu not far behind with eight in television alone.
Asian/Asian American talent was recognized in the following categories:
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series — The South Korean hit “Squid Game” was nominated along with “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Morning Show,” “Succession” and “Yellowstone.”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series — Jung-Ho Yeon of “Squid Game” was nominated along with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon of “The Morning Show,” Elizabeth Moss of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and Sarah Snook of “Succession.”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series — Lee Jung-Jae of “Squid Game” was nominated along with Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong of “Succession” and Billy Crudup of “The Morning Show.”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series — Sandra Oh of “The Chair” was nominated along with Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple of “Ted Lasso,” Jean Smart of “Hacks” and Elle Fanning of “The Great.” Oh won SAG Awards for “Killing Eve” in 2019 and “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2007, and shared an award with fellow cast members of the movie “Sideways” in 2005. She has also been an Emmy nominee for “Killing Eve” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture — “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” was nominated along with “Black Widow,” “Dune,” “The Matrix Resurrections” and “No Time to Die.”
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series — “Cobra Kai” and “Squid Game” were nominated along with “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “Loki” and “Mare of Easttown.”
Rosario Dawson and Vanessa Hudgens unveiled the nominees in a 7 a.m. announcement streaming on Instagram Live, on the SAG Awards page (@sagawards) and on Hudgens’ page (@vanessahudgens).
The awards program is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 27, at 5 p.m. PT at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and will be broadcast on TNT and TBS.