Shōgun Sweeps 31st SAG Awards Ceremony, Plus Many More Surprises

Image Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly 

By Luis Zonenberg 

Following hot off the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards from the week prior, audiences got to tune in and see actors across the globe be recognized for their work in film and television. The 31st Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards show saw Wicked lead with five nominations for film while Shōgun led with five nominations for television. The event recognized the impact of the California wildfires with everyone on and off-stage being very respectful as the night went on. 

Shōgun stole the show, sweeping up four of its five nominations! The acclaimed series received the most awards out of all actors nominated from both television and film.  Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai each took home the awards for Best Male and Female Actor in a Drama Series, while also sharing the spotlight when the show received the award for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series. Though it was presented offscreen, the series also took home the award for Outstanding Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama series. 

The real surprise highlighted two major wins for the famed comedy series Only Murders in the Building. Despite the series receiving nine nominations across its four season run, none of the actors ever received a SAG award until now. Though he was not present, Martin Short received the SAG for Best Male Actor in a Comedy Series with the show also winning the award for Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series as well. 

Colin Farell received his much deserved award for portraying Oz Cobb in the Penguin, taking home the award for Best Actor in a Miniseries. It was no surprise that Jessica Gunning and Jean Smart won Best Performance by Female Actor in their respective categories, with them having a hot streak across several award shows. 

As far as the film categories are concerned, one big surprise was to see Timothée Chalamet receive the award for Best Male Actor in a Leading Role. His underrated portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown usually gets snubbed at most award shows, so it was a nice turn around to see him receive his much deserved accolade. His speech though may overshadow the win, with him admitting how he yearns to be “one of the greats” in the acting business.

Kieran Culkin continues his much deserved hot streak here with him taking home the SAG for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role. It was also no surprise to see Demi Moore receive the award for Best Female Actor in a Leading Role for her gripping performance in The Substance. Both were fairly predictable wins but are still well deserved considering how fantastic each person was in their respective roles. 

The biggest awards for the night definitely took me by surprise. Despite no one from Conclave winning a SAG, the entire cast nonetheless took home the award for Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture. The Fall Guy also received the award for Best Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture, though it was a travesty that it was presented off-screen and it would have been a joy to see everyone be recognized for their work there. 

The 31st SAG awards had many surprises, with Only Murders in the Building finally winning some awards and Timothée Chalamet receiving some much deserved recognition. It was no surprise that Shōgun stole the show with its four wins, continuing its reigning streak once more. With the Oscars closing in, it will be interesting to see which actor gets recognized or snubbed come next week.