The Screen Actors Guild Awards, now in their 20th year, took place in LA on Saturday night. Although the awards are a fairly low-key affair compared to the Golden Globes and the Oscars, they are peer-nominated and largely considered the most accurate precursor to the Oscars so a win is major for the celebs.
American Hustle, which dominated the Golden Globe Awards and the Oscars Nomination list, has yet again proved itself a frontrunner this awards season by taking out the biggest gong of the night; the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion picture award. This award is the SAG equivalent of Best Picture meaning the win has increased the deafening Oscars buzz surrounding the 1970s crime film.
Despite this, neither of the leads in American Hustle managed to secure even a nomination in the individual actor awards. Instead, Matthew McConaughey took the Male Actor in a Leading Role award for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club and Aussie star Cate Blanchett was awarded the Female Actor in a Leading Role honour.
It’s been quite the week for Cate, with the star also having claimed a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for her role in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine. This SAG is largely touted as a wonderful omen for her given that in 2005 she won the supporting actress SAG ahead of securing her first ever Academy Award (for a supporting role in The Aviator). Industry insiders believe history might repeat itself at this year’s Oscars on March 2nd (but of course in the bigger and better category of lead) however only time will tell whether the Academy deems her performance worthy.
Jennifer Lawrence, who won the Golden Globe for her performance in American Hustle and has been touted as an Oscars’ favourite, missed out on the SAG for supporting actress, which went instead to the stunning Lupita Nyong’o. The Kenyan actress continued her awards season charm with a speech which recalled the phone conversation between her and her father after she got the part; “Daddy, do you know who Brad Pitt is? I’m going to be in a movie with him! And he said, ‘I don’t know him personally, but I’m glad you got a job.”
We can only imagine the phone call that will take place after this award!
In the television categories, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Modern Family, and Veep all scored awards. Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer Rita Moreno was presented the 50th SAG Lifetime Achievement award.
SAG Awards 2014 Full Winners List
Outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture – American Hustle
Outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role – Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role – Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role – Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role – Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or miniseries – Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra
Outstanding performance by a female actor in a television movie or miniseries – Helen Mirren, Phil Spector
Outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series – Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series – Downton Abbey
Outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series – Ty Burrell, “Modern Family
Outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series – Julia Louis-Dreyfus,Veep
Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series – Breaking Bad
Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series – Modern Family
Outstanding action performance by a stunt ensemble in a motion picture – Lone Survivor
Outstanding action performance by a stunt ensemble in a comedy or drama series – Game of Thrones
Life achievement award – Rita Moreno