The SAG Nominations are Here
Wednesday, December 12, 2018 at 9:41AM 
Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians) and Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black) announced the nominations and joked about their height difference, while pronouncing all the names beautifully, being totally gorgeous, and staying enthusiastic about the whole damn thing. We thank them profusely because the ACTUAL nominations were among the worst we've ever seen in our long history of awards-watching and we might have experienced dry-heaving ourselves had we been forced to read them off.
Did the SAG nominating committees only screen 8 movies and 7 tv shows this year?
Screen Actors Guild rules make voting your conscience about who is supporting and lead impossible (the members are required to vote however the actor is campaigned by the studio) unless you are conscientous enough to just not nominate the person if they are cheating... as we are when we vote on such things... but most nominators aren't. So this year we have even worse Category Fraud than usual -- there is barely a Supporting Actress category this year, at all, which is such a shame given all the worthy actual supporting female actors out there.
The nominations and some comments after the jump...
MOVIE AWARDS
Female Actor, Leading Role
- Emily Blunt, MARY POPPINS RETURNS
- Glenn Close, THE WIFE
- Olivia Colman, THE FAVOURITE
- Lady Gaga, A STAR IS BORN
- Melissa McCarthy, CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME
We've been predicting these five for the Oscar for awhile and it looks like they're going to hold despite a very rich lead actress field that also includes Nicole Kidman, Toni Collette, Carey Mulligan, Charlize Theron, Viola Davis, Elsie Fisher, and more...
IF there is a surprise we suspect that McCarthy is the vulnerable one.
Male Actor, Leading Role
- Christan Bale, VICE
- Bradley Cooper, A STAR IS BORN
- Rami Malek, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
- Viggo Mortensen, GREEN BOOK
- John David Washington, BLACKKKLANSMAN
Perhaps we have to start considering that Washington has a better shot at Oscar than we've previously thought? On the other hand, SAG often defers to their best picture preferences for acting awards (see also Joseph Fiennes in Shakespeare in Love and many others that didn't transfer to Oscar)
We still believe that Ethan Hawke is going to make the Oscar list. If Washington gets in he's going to displace someone else and people will be surprised. But Hawke is going to make it in.
Supporting Actress Female
- Amy Adams, VICE
- Emily Blunt, A QUIET PLACE
- Margot Robbie, MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS
- Emma Stone, THE FAVOURITE
- Rachel Weisz, THE FAVOURITE
This category is ABSURD. There are only 2 supporting performances in it. That's 40% supporting performances in a supporting category. Boo. We're just going to ignore it despite "supporting actress" being a category we are inordinately fond of moving forward.
Supporting Actor, Male
- Mahershala Ali, GREEN BOOK
- Timothée Chalamet, BEAUTIFUL BOY
- Adam Driver, BLACKKKLANSMAN
- Sam Elliott, A STAR IS BORN
- Richard E Grant, CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?
This appears to be the Oscar five with so many other worthy performances out there that just couldn't muster traction. That said if anyone is slightly vulnerable here it's Timothée Chalamet so if he's weaker than he appears (he's the only contender that isn't partially buoyed by traction in other categories for the same film). If he drops at the last second, expect Michael B Jordan from Black Panther or someone from Vice to replace him.
Ensemble
- BLACK PANTHER
- BLACKKKLANSMAN
- BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
- CRAZY RICH ASIANS
- A STAR IS BORN
FOR FUCK'S SAKE, ACTORS. Who thinks the supporting cast of Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the best casts of the year? It's the Malek show. And you already nominated him! I can name 30 movies from 2018 with stronger casts, instantly and without even looking at my spreadsheet. PLEASE READ OUR ANNUAL EXPOSE ON WHO WAS SNUBBED IN THIS CATEGORY DESPITE THEIR FILM BEING NOMINATED. IT'S ALWAYS MADDENING!
Black Panther is the obvious future winner we think... and it's the "cast" nomination that's the most complete without any egregiously shunned actors, Crazy Rich Asians, A Star is Born and BlacKkKlansman all skipped like half of their key players.
who were their stunt doubles?Stunt Ensemble
- ANT-MAN AND THE WASP
- AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
- THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS
- BLACK PANTHER
- MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE -FALLOUT
3/5 on our predictions here but very happy about Ant-Man and the Wasp's inclusion. Definitely didn't see Buster Scruggs coming. A bit surprised that A Quiet Place isn't here.
TV AWARDS
Female Actor Drama Series
- Julia Garner, OZARK
- Laura Linney, OZARK
- Elisabeth Moss, THE HANDMAID'S TALE
- Sandra Oh, KILLING EVE
- Robin Wright, HOUSE OF CARDS
Male Actor Drama Series
- Jason Bateman, OZARK
- Sterling K Brown, THIS IS US
- Joseph Fiennes, THE HANDMAID'S TALE
- John Krasinksi, JACK RYAN
- Bob Odenkirk, BETTER CALL SAUL
Drama Ensemble
- THE AMERICANS
- BETTER CALL SAUL
- THE HANDMAID'S TALE
- OZARK
- THIS IS US
Female Actor in Comedy Series
- Alex Borstein, MARVELOUS MRS MAISEL
- Alison Brie, GLOW
- Rachel Brosnaham, MARVELOUS MRS MAISEL
- Jane Fonda, GRACE & FRANKIE
- Lily Tomlin, GRACE & FRANKIE
SAG's strange insistence on one size fits all categories (no supporting or lead differentiation) makes their honorees so insanely limited. The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and The Kominsky Method and The Handmaid's Tale and Ozarks basically hogged the individual nominations AND the ensemble nominations. It's crazy!
Male Actor in a Comedy Series
- Alan Arkin, KOMINSKY METHOD
- Michael Douglas, KOMINSKY METHOD
- Bill Hader, BARRY
- Tony Shalhoub, MARVEOUS MRS
- Henry Winkler, BARRY
Comedy Ensemble
- ATLANTA
- BARRY
- GLOW
- THE KOMINKSY METHOD
- MARVELOUS MRS MAISEL
Female Actor Miniseries/Movie
- Amy Adams, SHARP OBJECTS
- Patricia Arquette, ESCAPE TO DANNEMORA
- Patricia Clarkson, SHARP OBJECTS
- Penelope Cruz, ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE
- Emma Stone, MANIAC
Male Actor Limited Series, Movie
- Antonio Banders, GENIUS: PICASSO
- Darren Criss, ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE
- Hugh Grant, A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL
- Anthony Hopkins, KING LEAR
- Bill Pullman, THE SINNER
Stunt Ensemble
- DAREDEVIL
- GLOW
- JACK RYAN
- THE WALKING DEAD
- WESTWORLD
Good list for the stunts, donch'a think? Although the absence year after year of Into the Badlands which is like 80% crazy stunt fighting is bizarre.
OVERALL TAKEAWAY 2018. THIS IS A UNIQUELY EMBARRASSING YEAR FOR THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD; THE STUNT PEOPLE ARE BETTER JUDGES OF THEIR OWN CRAFT THAN THE ACTORS ARE.
Reader Comments (87)
The Best Ensemble SAG Awards nomination is just playing even further into my hunch that Black Panther is the potential spoiler at the Oscars.
Also, I've had it in my head since early November, but I'm pretty sure Bohemian Rhapsody is in. Great box office legs, anchored by a well-received lead performance, and it's generally a crowd pleaser. Strangely, it'll probably take the spot I've been expecting Crazy Rich Asians to take since August. Then again, CRA got Best Ensemble too. But I can't see the Academy going for BOTH.
Fun statistic: No actor has ever been in more than two winning ensembles at SAG, and while no one has the opportunity to win a third (sorry, Emma Stone, The Favourite got left out), four actors have the opportunity to join the 17-way tie for most wins in that category. They are:
Bradley Cooper (previously won for American Hustle, nominated this year for A Star Is Born)
Topher Grace (prev. Traffic, nom. BlacKkKlansman)
Tom Hollander (prev. Gosford Park, nom. Bohemian Rhapsody)
Mike Myers (prev. Inglourious Basterds, nom. Bohemian Rhapsody)
If u have both sag and GG nom But is the only potential nominee in your film u should not be buying your suite/ gown yet. The academy is pretty lazy and dont wanna watch more films then necessary. So Chalamet ( unfortunately) and Maybe close should still be nervous i think.
If Black Panther is going to win Best Picture, it should be nominated for an acting award or Best Adapted Screenplay, preferably both. No film has won Best Picture without a nomination for writing or acting (usually both) for at least 50 years.
I knew Bohemian Rhapsody was getting in. Actors like it. Actors are stupid, it's total shit, but there you are.
@Tobias S: I'm pretty sure Close has nothing to be nervous about in terms of the nomination. They nominated her for Albert Nobbs even though most people didn't seem to think she should be. They like her, they really do.
No MPR for ensemble :( Really thought a nomination was possible. Have only heard wonderful things about the whole cast being perfect!
Hopefully Jordan can sneak into the Supporting Actor category--as long as he doesn't kick Grant out.
Sad to see Kidman shut out. I do think she still has an outside chance with Supporting Actress, as that SAG Supporting Actress lineup is bonkers (Blunt and Robbie seem very unlikely to be nominated for Oscars in that category). REALLY surprised to see the King snub. Weird. Not super surprised to see the Foy snub.
SAG must really love Blunt. That Quiet Place nod is a curveball, and they nominated her for Girl on a Train (which was horrendous and she was not even good in it!). I like her, but c'mon .
McCarthy seems to finally be gaining some momentum, which I am happy to see.
I would love to see Alison Brie win. She is awesome on GLOW.
I agree that A Star is Born is the frontrunner, and I've felt that way for a while. It might not win EVERY major category it's nominated for, but I'm expecting it to win a whole bunch.
Are we counting Blunt or Robbie as the 3rd Lead in Supporting? Cuz Blunt is legit Supporting in A Quiet Place - the lead is Millicent Simmonds. Haven't seen Mary, Queen of Scots but assumed that was the other Lead nomination.
Either way, these nominations are overall terrible
I think since moving up the awards season earlier, SAG and the Golden Globes have become shakier as predictors of Oscar nominees. And since SAG's nominating committees pull members from their general membership, let's just say that their panels may not quite be blue panel in terms of tastes. With that said, it looks like A Star is Born, Black Panther and BlackKklansman are looking stronger as best picture nominees. Roma, too, but it's a very singular case. As for actor, my hunch says Ethan Hawke will be nominated and win even without the Globe and SAG nominations. The critics' awards are calling attention to him and I'm sure Oscar voters will seek it out. The SAG voters seem to have gone very mainstream this year. In any event, it's looking to be an exciting year. There doesn't seem to be a "lock" in the major categories as we have seen in other years. Hawke, King, and Colman have been doing well with critics prizes, but all three are not sure things to win.
I am embarrassed for the union I belong to. (And sad about the screeners I'll be getting. So many good movies I was hoping to get a free copy of and now...)
No "s" on "Ozark."
Where is REGINA KING???
SAG nominating committee basic as fuck, yet again. Sigh.
PoliVamp: Margot Robbie appears for like 30 minutes and she's clearly supporting, so I think he means Blunt.
What are the chances Malek could actually win the SAG and/or the Oscar?
Polivamp -- god grant me the willingness to bend myself into pretzels like everyone else to make up stuff like 'THIS LEAD IS CLEARLY SUPPORTING" just because i like that person. It would make my blood pressure better but i can't do it.
emily blunt is the star of A QUIET PLACE. people are on crack.
Jamie -- i thought MPR would be honored for cast too. but it's telling that they nominated no films for cast which haven't yet opened (not even high profile casts like VICE or MARY POPPINS). If only they could have extended that to other categories and gotten rid of VICE altogether to make room for other stuff. haha
I mean, I argue that Alex Wolff is a co-lead in Hereditary despite everyone putting him in supporting, so I'm not bending myself into pretzels so much as disagreeing with the assessment of where Blunt belongs for AQP.
I'll rewatch AQP and see if my opinion changes. Perhaps I'm just remembering the Krasinki/Simmonds stuff more vividly.
Surprised Robbie is in so little of Mary, Queen of Scots. The trailers have her all over the place.
Harry Shum Jr.'s Ensemble nomination should be rescinded at once! He was seen for maybe five seconds tops. Beyond ridiculous when Shangela and Willam are nowhere to be found in "ASIB" ensemble.
I think this might mean that Foy is out of Supporting Actress, essentially dropping out like Gosling did, as the film faded from public consciousness.
I'm not sure that Robbie really has the buzz to get in there, so I'm going to o out on a limb and say Nicole Kidman for the 5th slot.
Best Actress needs to look like this more often
5 women who have never won and/or have never been nominated before?
Yes, more of that!
Glenn is losing all these awards to Lady GaGa. That is all.
1) That is one of the worst lineup of Ensemble nominees ever. More populist than the MTV Movie Awards. Bohemian Rhapsody is just a head scratcher.
2) I wouldn't count out Claire Foy just yet - word has it that that film is playing very well with Academy voters. The Regina King snub is unforgivable. Looks like Amy Adams will be winning her first Oscar come February. I can still see Nicole Kidman being the surprise nominee for Boy Erased since people really love her performance.
3) If John David Washington AND Ethan Hawke make it in, who gets left out? It's at the point now where I think Rami Malek is a near-lock for his Freddie Mercury.
4) I also think Actress and Supporting Actor will match up with Oscar, however I still have a feeling that Chalamet is shaky. Is anyone watching Beautiful Boy and really that passionate about it?
5) The Academy HAS to do something about the blatant category fraud. It gets worse and worse every year. If you don't feel like you can compete in the leading categories, then don't use the supporting categories as a consolation prize. It's absurd.
When we have a towering year for blockbuster movies (Dunkirk, Blade Runner 2049, Baby Driver, Logan) they go with strange choices in the independent field (3BOA Missouri, the other shits).
When we have a towering year for independent film (Roma, The Favourite, If Beale..., At Eternity's Gate, First Reformed, Can you ever forgive me?, The Rider, Leave no Trace, You were never really here, Tully, Wildlife), they go with the shit blockbusters (Black Panther, Bohemian, ASIB).
the thing is: all of them, now, wants audience. Excellence is far far far away of their mind when they think in nominated someone.
Really, really, really nervous about the Oscars nominations.
SAG continues to embarrass themselves! However… this makes the nomination process more exciting because it’s such a shit show right now.
Also, people kept hyping up Regina King because she was winning all the critics awards and I was like… don’t y’all remember every year there are critical darlings who don’t continue their winning streak once the televised awards start. I honestly could see Amy Adams and Tegina splitting televised awards and a real race going, but this snub does not bode well for her. Just like the globe snub doesn’t bode well for Ethan Hawke but I’m not writing people off based on awards show history… I feel like anything could still happen.
I also wasn’t totally sold in Foy making it it in, especially since it’s a bland supportive wife role in a movie that’s fading fast. I hope Nicole Kidman or someone interesting takes that spot. Regina King will have no trouble still getting the Oscar nod.
These are pretty fucking terrible. But those TV noms are a shit-show.
somebody should name and shame the nominating committee
Nathaniel - "as we are when we vote on such things." Please specify for reader clarity if 'we are' refers to you, team experince or BFCA.
Happy to see Emma Stone nominated for Maniac. It is one of her best performances yet, even if the show is very flawed.
Heartbroken for Ethan Hawke, though. I just hope the abundance of prestige critics prizes he got is enough to land him the Best Actor Oscar nomination next month.
I haven't seen Black Panther so I cannot comment, but the noms for Crazy Rich Asians are annoying to me. The film is mediocre, the acting is just alright and there is nothing special about it as a film. I understand the importance it has in terms of representation, but it does not deserve this type of recognition at all. It's such a silly film
I’m predicting Linda Cardellini and Lin Manuel Miranda to do the ol’ coat-tails spoil. All while keeping my fingers crossed for Ethan and Toni.
"Heartbroken for Ethan Hawke, though. I just hope the abundance of prestige critics prizes he got is enough to land him the Best Actor Oscar nomination next month."
This is why there is so much consensus among critics for Ethan Hawke. I know Nathaniel and Nick were critical of it during the podcast yesterday, but just one or two critics' awards are not enough (Tiffany Haddish did not get nominated last year) - there needs to be an entire wave to make a nomination happen.
Confession!! I had a hunch tt a female frontrunner which everyone predict will take the gold will be snubbed at SAG, I was expecting Gaga (not bcos I've anything against her performance, but bcos she is primarily known as a music artiste, rather than an actor). So color me shocked when Regina is the one who gets the chop! I thot she was well loved in the TV industry (3 Emmy wins in 4 yrs) & SAG members are made up a huge chuck of TV actors???
I believe her snub cld be due to the sentiments towards Beale Street, its too late breaking and probably too slow/mild/artsy for the voters, in a year where they r spoiled for choices. Annapurna shld've released it earlier to build up steam, not postpone it to the Dec battlefield!!
All those critics luvs r hard to ignore so I tink tt Regina (like Hawke) still stands a good chance of nom, but Beale Street might not crack the Best Film nine..I fear tt Bohemian Rhapsody might actually had a betta shot than Beale Street now....sigh...
Best Actress race shows tt Blunt is a v strong contender....she, Close, Colman & Gaga r looking strong at this point...& McCarthy is the vulnerable one now...Collette might sneak in over her.
Supp Actress wise, I tink Regina will get in, but her path to gold is now seriously strained & Amy Adams might become the televised frontrunner now...I tink Nicole will get the 5th spot over Foy.
Actor wise: Bale, Cooper, Malek & Mortenson r looking safe, w Hawke, Washington & Hedges fighting for the last spot. Metink, Hawke will sneak in w all the critics support
Supp Actor: Ali, Driver, Elliot & Grant r safe & I agreed tt Chalamet is the vulnerable one now. If the love for Black Panther is staying strong, then MB Jordan will take the last spot.
Happy to see Emma recognised for Maniac after the GG shutout! :)
Nathaniel,
If you had to create a cut-and-dried equation for deeming an actor supporting or lead, what would it be?
I think some hard-and -fast rule is the only way the practice of category fraud would ever change.
I wouldn't have nominated Washington, but he does some great work. I don't agree that Adam Driver can't get in when a black person doesn't (for this film). I don't know if Driver is actually Jewish, but he is in the film. And given the way the film plays, I think people will be comfortable with it. If he were a huge star, maybe not.
Besides, he's supporting. Totally different. And Washington isn't a lead asked to carry the film, tho he's great.
If Either McCarthy or Blunt miss now, it'll be a huge snub. McCarthy has never been too shaky, I think. She missed some nods at the small groups. Even tho the Indie Spirits have become more uniform lately (and a bit mainstream) they're still odd with their choices. She's in, barring a real shock.
Malek approaching near lock status...crazy, given the film has been savaged by many.
Me -- i mean never ever ever ever ever ever underestimate the awards voter appeal of biopic mimicry. it seems to work every time as silly and superficial at it truly is as a way of judging 'great' acting.
@Me: McCarthy missed at the Globes, which was pretty huge and is why people consider her the most vulnerable. I think she'll make it in, too, but it's not a lock. I think Blunt is more vulnerable at the moment. The Oscars have a tendency to ignore her work, though maybe this year will be too much to ignore between her 2 big roles.
Bruno--Melissa got the Globe nod.
I love HANDMAID, but Joseph Fiennes is not remotely good.
I'm assuming it overlaps like this, as far as Oscar nominations go:
Actress - 5/5. I believe these five ladies will repeat at Oscars and Baftas. The wins are harder to predict, as it could easily go Gaga/Blunt for GG, Close for SAG and Colman for Bafta, making Oscar night a nail biter.
Actor - 4/5, with Hawke bumping Washington or (less likely) Mortensen. Malek has mimicry and box-office, Bale has mimicry and "OMG! Is it really him?" transformation/deglam, and Cooper has the performance, the directing, the writing, the singing, all coming together for a heck of a "it's his year!" narrative. They are locks. If Mortensen wins Comedy GG, then he locks up as well. If Cooper is snubbed as Director, the Oscar is his.
Supporting Actress - 3/5. Amy Adams will win her Oscar at last. She'll have GG, SAG and BFCA as precursors. I expect Bafta to go to one of the Favourite ladies, likely Rachel Weisz (who was deemed lead for The Constant Gardener, so Thandie Newton won BSA Bafta that year, for Crash). She and Emma Stone will continue to category fraud their way through the Season. Thankfully, Nat is already bald, or he'd pull his hair out. Emily Blunt and Margot Robbie will not repeat @ Oscars. Regina King will be reinstated and the fifth slot will likely be Claire Foy or a coattail nomination like Linda Cardellini in Green Book.
Supporting Actor - 4/5. I have a feeling Chalamet will not make it (too young, too feminine looking, underperforming movie with no traction in any other categories). I also don't believe he'd be bumped by Michael B. Jordan, who has too many drawbacks: he is black, he is in a superhero movie, he is insanely hot, he is too young. If anything they will go for one of the Vice men, likely Sam Rockwell in his victory lap. Ali should get GG and Bafta, while Elliott wins SAG and Oscar.
I would love it if something crazy happened and we ended up with a 2003 type of nomination morning, with the Academy going rogue on many categories, but it's unlikely.