The Oscar race may be missing in-person glitz this year, but it doesn鈥檛 lack for star power. Will Smith, Lady Gaga and Ben Affleck landed individual nominations for the on Wednesday, while the casts of 鈥淏elfast鈥� and 鈥淐ODA鈥� were among those nominated for the guild鈥檚 top award, best ensemble.
were announced Wednesday by actors Vanessa Hudgens and Rosario Dawson on Instagram Live. While the nominations were conducted virtually due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, the streamed announcement still represented one of the most meaningful mornings in an awards season largely snuffed out by the pandemic.
Joining Kenneth Branagh鈥檚 semi-autobiographical 鈥淏elfast鈥� and the coming-of-age drama 鈥淐ODA鈥� for best ensemble were the casts for Ridley Scott鈥檚 true-tale, high-camp 鈥淗ouse of Gucci,鈥� Adam McKay鈥檚 apocalypse comedy 鈥淒on鈥檛 Look Up鈥� and the family tennis drama 鈥淜ing Richard.鈥� Notably left out were the casts of Steven Spielberg鈥檚 lavish 鈥淲est Side Story鈥� revival (which landed a supporting nod for Ariana DeBose) and Jane Campion鈥檚 鈥淭he Power of the Dog.鈥� Campion鈥檚 gothic drama, though, landed individual SAG noms for Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
The SAG Awards have more of the awards season spotlight this year since the Golden Globes 鈥� usually the kickoff party to final Oscar stretch 鈥� made barely a peep. The Globes were on Twitter in a private ceremony due to Hollywood鈥檚 boycott of the beleaguered Hollywood Foreign Press Association over diversity and ethical issues. The omicron surge also prompted the to postpone its January 9 in-person gala. For the second straight year, Oscar season has gone virtual 鈥� and struggled to make much noise.
But the SAG nominations suggest that plenty of famous faces are in the hunt this year. Along with Will Smith (鈥淜ing Richard鈥�) and Cumberbatch, the nominees for best male lead actor are: Denzel Washington (鈥淭he Tragedy of Macbeth鈥�), Andrew Garfield (鈥淭ick, Tick 鈥� Boom!鈥�) and Javier Bardem (鈥淏eing the Ricardos鈥�).
Up for best female lead are: Lady Gaga (鈥淗ouse of Gucci鈥�), Jessica Chastain (鈥淭he Eyes of Tammy Faye鈥�), Olivia Colman (鈥淭he Lost Daughter鈥�), Nicole Kidman (鈥淏eing the Ricardos鈥�) and Jennifer Hudson (鈥淩espect鈥�).
Joining Dunst and DeBose in the best female supporting category are Caitriona Balfe (鈥淏elfast鈥�), Cate Blanchett (鈥淣ightmare Alley鈥�) and Ruth Negga (鈥淧assing鈥�). The best male supporting nominees are: Affleck (鈥淭he Tender Bar鈥�), Bradley Cooper (鈥淟icorice Pizza鈥�), Troy Kotsur (鈥淐ODA鈥�), Jared Leto (鈥淗ouse of Gucci鈥�) and Smit-McPhee.
Kotsur is the first deaf actor to land an individual SAG nomination.
The SAG Awards, presented by the actors guild SAG-AFTRA, are among the most reliable Oscar bellwethers. Seldom does a movie or performance not nominated by the screen actors end up winning at the Academy Awards. Actors make up the biggest percentage of the film academy, so their choices have the largest sway.
But last year, SAG and the academy diverged more than usual. Only one of its acting winners 鈥� Daniel Kaluuya (鈥淛udas and the Black Messiah鈥�) 鈥� repeated at the Oscars. (The other SAG winners were Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis in 鈥淢a Rainey鈥檚 Black Bottom,鈥� and Yuh-Jung Youn in 鈥淢inari.鈥�) The Aaron Sorkin courtroom drama while Chlo茅 Zhao鈥檚 鈥淣omadland鈥� 鈥� which included many nonprofessional actors and went unnominated for SAG鈥檚 ensemble award 鈥� .
That history will give hope to supporters of Kristen Stewart (鈥淪pencer鈥�), maybe the most notable performer overlooked Wednesday. Others that missed out include Peter Dinklage (鈥淐yrano鈥�), Ciar谩n Hinds (鈥淏elfast鈥�) and Rachel Zegler (鈥淲est Side Story鈥�).
While some have rooted for some of the year鈥檚 most popular blockbusters to give the flagging Oscars a populist jolt, 鈥淪pider-Man: No Way Home,鈥� 鈥淒une鈥� and 鈥淣o Time To Die鈥� received no major nominations from the actors guild. 鈥淒une鈥� and 鈥淣o Time to Die鈥� did, though, join 鈥淏lack Widow,鈥� 鈥淭he Matrix Resurrections鈥� and 鈥淪hang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings鈥� in the stunt ensemble category.
Yet possibly the most popular TV series of 2021 did haul in plenty of recognition. Netflix鈥檚 much-watched 鈥淪quid Game鈥� was nominated for four SAG awards including best drama series. The television nominations were also led by HBO鈥檚 鈥淪uccession鈥� (four nods including best drama series and best actor for Jeremy Strong and Brian Cox); 鈥淭ed Lasso鈥� (five nods including best comedy series); and 鈥淭he Morning Show鈥� (four nods including best drama series).
The 28th annual SAG Awards are to be held Feb. 27 and will be broadcast on TNT and TBS. The Oscars are scheduled for March 27.
鈥擩ake Coyle, The Associated Press
