“One Battle After Another” rewrote the record books, and the message from actors this awards season appears to be that English-language movies are still dominating their voting.
That takeaway emerged Wednesday morning as nominations were announced for the Actor Awards, formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The film and television nominees were unveiled by “Abbott Elementary” star Janelle James and “Heated Rivalry” breakout Connor Storrie.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s action epic “One Battle After Another” led the field with a record-breaking seven nominations, the most in the ceremony’s history. The Warner Bros. release earned bids for cast ensemble, stunt ensemble and five individual acting nominations — Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn and Teyana Taylor.
Warner Bros. was the overall leading studio with 12 overall noms across four titles, followed by Focus Features with six, A24 with four and Netflix with three.
Variety correctly projected “One Battle’s” full haul. Close behind was Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” which scored five nominations, tying it for the second-most nominations in SAG history. The two films will face off in the ensemble race against the casts of Guillermo del Toro’s gothic drama “Frankenstein,” Chloé Zhao’s grief-centered “Hamnet” and Josh Safdie’s dark comedy “Marty Supreme.”
“Sinners” delivered one of the morning’s bigger surprises with a stunt ensemble nomination, leapfrogging anticipated contenders such as DC Studios’ “Superman” and Universal’s “Wicked: For Good,” which landed in the category last year. Coogler’s film also earned individual nominations for Michael B. Jordan (best actor), Miles Caton (supporting actor) and Wunmi Mosaku (supporting actress), along with a cast ensemble bid.
As the season’s been unfolding, the dynamic between “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners” is beginning to echo the “La La Land” versus “Moonlight” race of 2016. One film has dominated much of the season and shattered records, while the other carries an undercurrent of passion and historical weight that could resonate on a preferential Oscar ballot. Whether that parallel holds remains to be seen.
The acting races themselves delivered no shortage of surprises — and omissions.
In best actor, DiCaprio and Jordan were joined by recent Critics Choice winner Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”), Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”) and Jesse Plemons (“Bugonia”), forming one of the season’s most competitive lineups. Left out was Wagner Moura, whose acclaimed performance in the Brazilian thriller “The Secret Agent” failed to break through with the guild.
Moura’s miss was emblematic of a broader pattern with the total shutout of non-English-language films across all categories. Most notably affected was Joachim Trier’s Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value,” which received no acting nominations despite strong expectations for Renate Reinsve in lead actress and presumed supporting contenders Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Elle Fanning.
While the Academy’s increasingly international membership suggests the Neon release is not necessarily imperiled ahead of Oscar nomination voting, the absence is nonetheless significant. Translating critical acclaim into Oscar wins has historically been difficult without SAG support, and “Sentimental Value” now faces that familiar uphill climb.
SAG’s uneven relationship with non-English performances is well documented, from past snubs of Isabelle Huppert (“Elle”) and Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”). There are exceptions — last year’s “Emilia Pérez,” which broke through with Zoe Saldaña’s supporting actress win — but those cases have typically arrived with overwhelming momentum.
With Reinsve out of the best actress category, new doors opened. Emma Stone picked up another key industry nom for “Bugonia,” while Kate Hudson landed her first individual SAG acting nomination, 25 years after “Almost Famous” (2001), with her career-best work in “Song Sung Blue.” They join frontrunners Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”) and Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”), both favored to win Golden Globes on Sunday. Missing (again) was Cynthia Erivo’s turn as the green-skinned Elphaba in “Wicked: For Good,” following her Critics Choice omission. All eyes will be on the BAFTA longlists on Friday to see who remains competitive.
The supporting races proved just as volatile.
Miles Caton earned a well-deserved nomination for his film debut in “Sinners,” following his Critics Choice win for best young actor. He joins Del Toro and Penn from “One Battle After Another,” Paul Mescal (“Hamnet”) and surprise Critics Choice winner Jacob Elordi (“Frankenstein”). SAG has historically embraced young performers (i.e., Freddie Highmore from “Finding Neverland”), raising the question of whether Caton can sustain his momentum through Oscar voting.
In the supporting actress category, Mosaku received a timely boost after missing the Golden Globes for her outstanding work in “Sinners.” She was joined by Odessa A’zion for “Marty Supreme,” who edged out her Oscar-winning co-star Gwyneth Paltrow, and both “Sentimental Value” ladies. The category also includes last year’s nominee Ariana Grande (“Wicked: For Good”), veteran Amy Madigan (“Weapons”) and Taylor, making for a tightly packed race with much room for even more surprises to come.
The ceremony is considered a key bellwether for the Oscars, often providing actors and films with crucial momentum as they push for Academy Award nominations — and, ultimately, wins.
Since the ensemble category was introduced in 1995, only four films — “Braveheart” (1995), “The Shape of Water” (2017), “Green Book” (2018) and “Nomadland” (2020) — have gone on to win best picture at the Academy Awards without earning a SAG ensemble nomination. Since the Academy expanded the best picture field in 2009, 61 of the 80 films nominated for SAG ensemble — a 76% success rate — have also gone on to receive best picture nominations, underscoring the category’s value as a reliable Oscar indicator.
SAG’s predictive strength extends to the film acting races as well. Since 2009, SAG’s film acting nominees have overlapped with the Academy Awards an average of 16 out of 20 slots, an 80% match rate. The strongest alignment came in 2009, the year of “The Hurt Locker,” when 19 of 20 SAG nominees went on to earn Oscar nominations. The weakest crossover occurred in 2021, the year of “CODA,” when the overlap dropped to 12 of 20.
Television nominations brought their own shakeups, even with Apple’s “The Studio” leading the landscape with five, including cast ensemble and acting bids for Seth Rogen, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn and Catherine O’Hara.
Netflix led all networks with 12 nominations overall and a complete takeover of the lead actor (limited) category. It was followed by Apple TV with nine and HBO Max with eight.
The final season of Netflix’s hit show “Stranger Things” was shut out, along with the “Star Wars” spinoff series “Andor” from Disney+. Instead, SAG-AFTRA recognized Paramount’s neo-Western series “Landman” and Netflix’s political thriller “The Diplomat.”
Notable acting omissions included the cast of FX’s “The Bear” missing individual nominations despite an ensemble nod. Adam Scott and Tramell Tillman were left out for “Severance,” while Kathy Bates (“Matlock”), Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”) and Kristen Bell (“Nobody Wants This”) were absent from their respective lead categories.
This year’s eligibility period covers performances released between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2025.
Final voting will take place from Jan. 14 through Feb. 27 at noon PT. The 32nd annual Actor Awards, presented by SAG-AFTRA, will stream live on Netflix on March 1.
The list of nominees is below.
Film Categories
Cast Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“Frankenstein” (Netflix)
“Hamnet” (Focus Features)
“Marty Supreme” (A24)
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Male Actor in a Leading Role
Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme” (A24)
Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia” (Focus Features)
Female Actor in a Leading Role
Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet” (Focus Features)
Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (A24)
Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features)
Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Emma Stone, “Bugonia” (Focus Features)
Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Miles Caton, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Benicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
Paul Mescal, “Hamnet” (Focus Features)
Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Odessa A’zion, “Marty Supreme” (A24)
Ariana Grande, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
Amy Madigan, “Weapons” (Warner Bros.)
Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
“Frankenstein” (Netflix)
“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” (Paramount Pictures)
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
TV Categories
Cast Ensemble in a Drama Series
“The Diplomat” (Netflix)
“Landman” (Paramount+)
“The Pitt” (HBO Max)
“Severance” (Apple TV)
“The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
Cast Ensemble in a Comedy Series
“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
“The Bear” (FX)
“Hacks” (HBO Max)
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
“The Studio” (Apple TV)
Male Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” (Hulu)
Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV)
Walton Goggins, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” (Apple TV)
Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” (HBO Max)
Female Actor in a Drama Series
Britt Lower, “Severance” (Apple TV)
Parker Posey, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
Keri Russell, “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)
Aimee Lou Wood, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Ike Barinholtz, “The Studio” (Apple TV)
Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
Ted Danson, “A Man on the Inside” (Netflix)
Seth Rogen, “The Studio” (Apple TV)
Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Kathryn Hahn, “The Studio” (Apple TV)
Catherine O’Hara, “The Studio” (Apple TV)
Jenna Ortega, “Wednesday” (Netflix)
Jean Smart, “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Kristen Wiig, “Palm Royale” (Apple TV)
Male Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series
Jason Bateman, “Black Rabbit” (Netflix)
Owen Cooper, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Stephen Graham, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (Netflix)
Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)
Female Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series
Claire Danes, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)
Erin Doherty, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Sarah Snook, “All Her Fault” (Peacock)
Christine Tremarco, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Michelle Williams, “Dying for Sex” (FX)
Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
“Andor” (Disney+)
“Landman” (Paramount+)
“The Last of Us” (HBO Max)
“Squid Game” (Netflix)
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)