Screen Actors Guild Nominations - The Movies
Thursday, February 4, 2021 at 11:36AM 
SAG Award nominations were announced this morning by Daveed Diggs (Hamilton) and Lily Collins (Mank). The late Chadwick Boseman made history with 4 nominations simultaneously (2 Cast, 1 Lead, 1 Supporting) and Minari, one of our three favourite pictures of the year, suprised by nabbing THREE nominations when none were at all certain. Trial of the Chicago 7 and Ma Rainey also snagged 3 nominations.
After the jump brief commentary on the surprises, snubs, and what it might mean (or doesn't mean) for Oscar. It's always worth reeminding that there is next to no overlap from group to group in terms of voting. SAG's nominating committee are a mix of random people from their close to 100,000 wide membership and the acting branch of the Academy is infinitely smaller and though they're also members of SAG, only a tiny percentage might actually end up on the SAG nominating committee in any given year...
BEST ACTRESS
- Amy Adams, Hillbilly Elegy
- Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
- Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman
- Frances McDormand, Nomadland
- Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
We really wish we had done a prdiction post because we KNEW Amy Adams was going to happen and now we don't have the receipts to prove it. She's the new Streep in terms of default status. This is a tough break for all the women vying for that fifth slot not to have SAG's support. We think it's between Michelle Pfeiffer and Andra Day and Amy Adams for the fifth slot, and the non SAG nominees might be able to build last minute momentum with their films opening in February.
BEST ACTOR
- Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
- Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
- Anthony Hopkins, The Father
- Gary Oldman, Mank
- Steven Yeun, Minari
A minor but lovely surprise here with Steven Yeun landing a nomination. We still think the Oscar nomination might go to Delroy Lindo but after both Globe and SAG passed, it's an uphill climb.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
- Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
- Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy
- Olivia Colman, The Father
- Youn Yuh-Jung, Minari
- Helena Zengel, News of the World
Shocked and thrilled to see Youn Yuh-Jung listed though it's a shock that Amanda Seyfried was passed over. We don't expect that she'll be left out of Oscar lineup so this list won't be exact. There also could be last minute rallying of the Academy's Ellen Burstyn fans or Judas and the Black Messiah's Dominique Fishback making headway in February. Jodie Foster was surely a Globes only thing. We do wonder why Candice Bergen never got any traction though, being an enduring former awards magnet celebrity.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
- Sacha Baron Cohen, Trial of the Chicago 7
- Chadwick Boseman, Da 5 Bloods
- Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
- Jared Leto, The Little Things
- Leslie Odom Jr, One Night in Miami
Two days in a row, a nomination for Jared Leto. 🤡 If he makes the transfer to Oscar it will be the worst nomination in that category since... Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones (2009). And they both played serial killers so maybe actors are always impressed with that? The other four are surely repeating at Oscar.
Since category fraud isn't quite as rampant this year we're trying to make peace with Daniel Kaluuya in Judas and the Black Messiah. He's very good in the picture but he's playing Fred Hampton in the Fred Hampton biopic so it's egregiously false as a campaign. It's like calling Leonardo DiCaprio a supporting actor in The Great Gatsby. Yes, in both cases the story is told from someone else's perspective but the ENTIRE STORY is about him. (Sigh). As for actual supporting players left out, this might spell doom for Paul Raci's bid for Sound of Metal or Glynn Turman's bid for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Critical favor never guarantees Oscar viability for the lesser fame actors, especially those who are genuinely supporting and not leads or arguable leads (like Odom and Kaluuya and Bill Murray, who might still show up on Oscar nom morning).
STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
- Da 5 Bloods
- Mulan
- News of the World
- Trial of the Chicago 7
- Wonder Woman 1984
Trial of the Chicago 7 had stunts? I guess there was a police attack scene on the protesters.
BEST CAST OF A MOTION PICTURE
- Da 5 Bloods
- Minari
- Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
- One Night in Miami
- The Trial of the Chicago 7
This is a solid lineup and congrats to all the nominees. Though, as per usual some fine actors were left out of this particular honor due to SAG "solo title card" rule. As for what might have been here that didn't make the cut we assume that Mank and Promising Young Woman were also in the mix though here at the Film Bitch Awards I'd have added in Babyteeth and True History of the Kelly Gang.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE SAG NOMINATIONS THIS YEAR?
Reader Comments (83)
bahahahahaha JARED LETO IS HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!
No Lindo very strange and Seyfried snubbed too,what is with that horrendous Amy Adams nomination it's definitely her worst ever performance I get the Glenn Close nomination and it seems obvious to me they going to give her the Oscar as the competition is quite weak this year and who doesn't want to see Olivia Colman gleefully cheering her win,I know I do.
This is ridiculous... No category should be comprised of just 2 shows/films
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Gillian Anderson (“The Crown”)
Olivia Colman (“The Crown”)
Emma Corrin (“The Crown”)
Julia Garner (“Ozark”)
Laura Linney (“Ozark”)
I knew SAG would go for Hillbilly Elegy, ugh. I'm still holding out hope for Burstyn come Oscar time.
I really hope this Jared Leto thing is a fluke. Maybe he'll wow me when I see this film, but it just seems so obvious for this to be the late contender that's everywhere.
Very sad for Delroy Lindo. I thought for sure, with all of his critical support and years in the industry he'd make it here. It's hard to see him being nominated now without the SAG. And, SAG voters clearly liked his film.
It will be interesting to see if Minari can carry this through to Oscar morning.
Child actors are so odd. I don't think News of the World has made impact culturally, nor has it been widely discussed, but clearly its campaign is paying off. Maybe she'll make it all the way as a show of support for a film that opened in theaters, but it still seems like an odd nomination.
Very glad Glenn is hanging on. Given that she and Adams made it in here, there may be enough support to get her over the line. But after the Wife debacle, I never want to get my hopes up when it comes to the academy and Glenn.
Would be great if Mulligan & Close happen at the Oscars. Seyfried will be nominated, I wouldn't be surprised if they kick out Bakalova because of the type of role it was.
The Boseman double nomination is happening. Gross. I loved him in MRBB but he is not even the most memorable Supporting Actor performance in his own film! History has shown us with the Oscars that when an embarrassment of riches is offered - and SA certainly fits that bill this year - wonky choices are made. Ugh.
Actors snubbing Burstyn and Raci.
Hahaha!
I commented on that in the BAFTA Long List post, Suzanne.
Just shows how the pandemic has made it okay to be even lazier and to vote just for social standing. No knock on the non-white nominations, but the fact that Leto and Adams can make it alongside them just shows to me that these were, in large part, just "eeny, meeny, miny, moe" tallies on a ballot without actual viewings of the performances themselves, save for a TV spot or trailer, if that.
Is Leto pulling an Ali move? Just winning then winning again a few years later. If the women of the 90's started getting nominations and wins again maybe the men of the 10's will too. Awards season like history repeats itself.
Some of these nominations are more embarrassing than the Globes in my opinion.
How on earth can you award Da 5 Bloods with ensemble and supporting actor but NO Lindo for best actor? Absurd. I think he’s really vulnerable for Oscar and it makes me sad.
Close and Adams deserve razzies, not SAG Awards or Oscars. That film was terrible.
Horrified for Amanda Seyfried. I hope she can Regina King her way back from this come Oscar time.
And seriously JARED LETO over Paul Raci in Sound of Metal?! I was sure Raci would land here with actors. That makes me so mad. I also just don’t get the love for Boseman in Da 5 Bloods either, sorry. Lindo is BY FAR the standout in that.
Thriller for Minari. Sad that Promising Young Woman couldn’t pull out an ensemble nod here. I still think Nomadland is the frontrunner- not too shocked it missed out on ensemble.
And the TV nominations? Lord god. Did they only watch two shows for Lead Actress in a Drama? Sheesh...
Forgive me if this has been asked before, but is there a reason why the SAGs don't split up the television categories into lead and supporting when they do so for films? I guess it would mean a longer ceremony, but it seems odd to have them together.
Also, do they not haven an ensemble prize for the mini-series/tv movie category? Seems like an oversight (just when I was thinking that would be a good prize for, say, the Mrs. America cast).
What does everyone feel about Ellen Burstyn's snub? I felt when watching POAW that she was too old for the role. Do you think others are feeling the same way? Also her big monologue felt a little out of place to me. Thoughts?
They got Lily to announce but not nominating her in any thing. Not even Mank ensemble. That’s cold!
Poor Delroy Lindo. He really deserves to be there.
Maybe they'll give Boseman Supporting and rightfully award Hopkins his Best Actor Oscar.
It looks more and more like Chicago 7 may be the Best Picture winner this year.
Amy Adams haters can start tó cry and shout... She did it!!!! In spite of negativ media campaign about the film. The performance counts!!! 🙏👍🍾🥂
@Fiona because their priority is to be an Oscar predictor, they don’t pay attention to TV at all. See Best Actress in Drama Series this year, for example.
Well, this is fun. Globes and SAG each threw some curveballs and even overlapped on a few.
The Academy will either be lazy and nominate Jared Leto, or they're going to say "fuck that" and nominate Paul Raci. Hoping for the latter. Dark horse possible for a supporting player from Ma Rainey.
Same with Delroy Lindo; I assumed he still had a shot yesterday, and I think he still does, but it's dwindling. He'll have to get some passion votes and the film he's in isn't helping. Plus, a really stacked category.
LOL @ Amy Adams... not bc she isn't deserving, I'm sure she delivered, but SAG tends to go for any awards bait movie from the early stages of campaigning, no matter how it turned out critically. It makes me question if they actually watch movies or if it's just whoever sent packages first. I don't think she'll be nominated, but who knows honestly.
After the Globe nods, I figured supporting actress was between Glenn and Amanda. Now I definitely think Glenn is getting her Oscar.
I really think Olivia Colman could take Supporting Actress here. They’ve overlooked her for The Favourite and The Crown (S1).
I could even see her doing what she did at the television BAFTAs and taking two home this year.
No mention of Seyfried?
@Aaron: Close & Adams overacted no more than Lindo did.
Michael R- same for me. I was honestly not a fan of Pieces of a Woman, outside of those opening 30 minutes and Vanessa Kirby's performance (it was shaded in too much cheap melodrama for me to find the rest of the movie effective). As for Burstyn, she does okay, but she does look way too old to be Vanessa Kirby's mother and the fact that her big monologue mentioned the Holocaust left a sour taste in my mouth (like... wouldn't this be something she would have brought up sooner?).
I guess I'll now have to see Hilbilly Elegy. And The Little Things.
I still think Amanda Seyfried will make it to the Oscar list (I know she has a lot of detractors here, but I think Mank is her best work), and given that Regina King won an Oscar without a SAG nomination, she could still win (this does complicate that, but it could still happen).
As for TV nods... SAG always makes me cringe with these so I hardly pay attention. I don't know how long they can go before recognizing they need supporting categories--I really don't know why they're resistant to that. The way these categories are set up is so damn stupid, especially when a mere two shows wind up taking the category.
A Close Razzie/Oscar double nom coming’ right up!
Wow. Only one of the five ensembles is a majority white cast. Since the four non-white casts in question are all deserving, there can only be one explanation for the complaints that are going to start in three, two, one...
Not for anything,
But a Best Picture shouldn't always be de facto when based on historical events, or even racially-charged subject matter. Really subject matter "charged" with anything.
Green Book has to be one of the dullest, least interesting "films" to win Best Picture in the last 20 years. If not more. Is competently made really all a film needs to be to also be considered best film? What about the craft itself, and the risks taken or not taken?
The Academy isn't exactly known for rewarding beautiful disasters, but it sure does love to reward banality.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is perfectly fine as a fictional viewing document, but as a film, it's hands-down one of the least accomplished this year.
Hell, the same can surely be said of Spotlight, except there WAS craft there: intent to recreate, whether full-on or just on a slant, the ensemble nature of the very best '70s political and socio-political dramas, and the editing was absolutely stellar. Tom McCarthy isn't a flashy director, but he's an excellent screenwriter.
Love me some Sorkin, but Chicago 7 is Sorkin-lite.
Anyway, that's my take, which no one asked for. Haha.
Hate to say it but I need the reaction shot of Close losing to Colman a second time—I almost need that more than I need Glenn to become a supporting actress winner. At this point it's just comedy.
Glenn Close is totally winning the Oscar. She has been underestimated from the start.
Seyfried is safe. She's exactly what the academy loves for this category: A young or relatively young woman who's also movie-star attractive: Alicia Vikander, Anne Hathaway, Penélope Cruz, Renée Zellweger, Jennifer Connelly, Angelina Jolie, Mira Sorvino, Geena Davis... Best Supporting Actress is where hot young women are allowed into the club. Some times these wins are deserved, sometimes not.
If they liked the cast why no Lindo i've seen some on here say he overacts well maybe but so does Boseman in MRBB.
Ahmed to win and i'm pretty sure he'll bring Raci in,I think Kirby brings Bursytn with her and agree she seemed 14 yrs too old to be 30 something Kirby's mother.
Hillbilly is 80's type Oscar bait Close is less showy than Adams and should be nominated.
I'd like to see Yeun & Jung nominated but Asian/Oriental actors have a rougher history with Oscar,no-one from Parasite got in last year.
@markgordonuk, we don't say "Oriental" anymore. Good Lord.
I still think Amanda Seyfried will definitely be nominated, but she just lost her chance of winning. There isn't enough to the role/performance to be able to overcome a snub here. I think this is Glenn's to lose at this point. She delivers despite the film itself and I don't think they'll ignore her (*fights off Fatal Attraction pun*) if they nominate her again. She could be snubbed, who knows, but if she's nominated, I think she'll get it. The storyline of losing for The Wife as the presumed frontrunner will only help ESPECIALLY considering Olivia Colman will be nominated in the category this time as well! It's working in her favor.
As for Bakalova, I hope she makes it just bc she's had so much hate (I mean, AwardsDaily refuses to even list her as in the running, despite all of her nominations/wins) but it's truly a toss-up. Times are weird so I say truly anything goes, but this also isn't a Melissa McCarthy situation. That film was beloved, got a screenplay nod, and was probably close to best picture and surely had some votes in Best Actress.
Youn Yuh-Jung is vulnerable (for obvious reasons), but I feel like she has a good shot... I think Helena Zengel is more vulnerable than people realize.
At this point everyone is vulnerable. With the wonky release schedules and delayed voting etc, perhaps we could see less overlap come Oscar time than ever before.
Minari could win Supporting Actress or Best Ensemble
Lindo should have gone supporting (which is buyable, it being an ensemble film). He’d be nominated and winning every award.
I wish they would stop nominating good performances in bad movies. Don’t reward movies that suck. Award winners are recommendations to future generations of what films from our time they should watch. I’m talking about Adams and Close, I’m sure it’s true with Leto too but I haven’t seen the little things yet.
Hahaha @Ricky: You sound like one of the characters from Downton Abbey in my head when writing that. That's not a knock on you or anything, I just wanted to share that I chuckled at your "Good Lord". Personally it seems to be much ado about nothing, but that's the world today, and that's fine, we can all deal.
Close is FUR SHORE winning her Oscar for Hillbilly. Just another one of many "replacement" wins that in no way, shape, or form come close to the highest acting achievement of those performers.
The king is dead, long live the king!
Manny: If true, I'm so embarrassed for Glenn. She doesn't deserve this fate.
I still think it will be pretty pathetic for Close, one of the titans of 80s cinema right up there with Streep, Spacek, Pfeiffer, and Lange, to get what will essentially be a consolation prize. This isn't a performance she's going to want to be known for and she deserved a Best Actress trophy, not a Supporting Actress one.
See, if they had given Cher her Oscar for Silkwood, none of this would have needed to happen... ;)
I'm convinced that voters all only watch the same small handful of shows. It's depressing.
They should've given Glenn her Oscar two years ago and then Colman could win hers this year! Don't get me wrong, Olivia deserved it for The Favourite, but that scenario would've felt so much more appropriate than Glenn winning supporting for this movie, but whatever. Who cares. Give her the gold lol.
DA 5 BLOODS for Ensemble but no Lindo is absurd. Even more absurd is nominating Boseman for that picture - why? He already has a great performance in another movie this year. He does nothing of note in this one.
@Manny I smiled too but I won't use it again if it bothers some.
Ellen Burstyn is one of my all-time favorite actresses, but I was disappointed by Pieces of a Woman overall, and (it pains me to say this) she would not make my line-up. I agree that she was too old for the role. If the director really wanted to cast her, he could have made her Kirby's grandmother or great-aunt and invented a backstory where she had to raise Kirby's character.
DMF -- nah, people are too intent on double-rewarding Chadwick and he would have been in direct competition.. I think Delroy was smart to go lead. It's just not working out well is all (though i still think he could show up on Oscar nomination morning)
Michael -- i hear what you're saying but Jared Leto is in no way GOOD in The Little Things. It's actually quite an eembarassing performance. Ugh. cant believe voters were that forgetful that they just voted for whatever they watched last week.
Velma -- it actually took me a second to realize they;d left Seyfried out! so i changed the text.
I personally wouldn’t want Glenn Close rewarded for ‘that hillbilly movie...’. She and we can wait it out.
It could easily be that Seyfried wins the Globe, Glenn wins the SAG and Colman wins the BAFTA. Three way races do happen in this category sometimes.
I bet even Amanda was shocked at her snub! I certainly gasped.
Glenn Close fans are sinking the film experience to a palace of bad movie taste and white mediocrity. 26 on rotten tomatoes, 26!
Does this mean I *have* to watch Hillbilly Elegy now?