The Screen Actors Guild Awards spread the wealth when the organization announced nominations on Thursday for its 27th edition, failing to signal that there was any clear leadership in both film and television.
“Minari”, the story of an immigrant family trying to build a life in the rural south, “Da 5 Bloods, a Vietnamese epic,“ The Trial of the Chicago 7 ”, a court drama and“ Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom ”, an adaptation of a play by August Wilson, all marked with three indications. The recognition seemed karmic justice for “Minari” and “Da 5 Bloods” after the films were virtually excluded from Wednesday’s Golden Globe nominations. It can also breathe new life into your Oscar nominees, after the prize candidates seemed unstable just 24 hours ago.
In a bittersweet moment, Chadwick Boseman made history, becoming the first person to receive four SAG nominations for his lead role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”, his supporting role in “Da 5 Bloods”, and for his work in the sets of both films. Boseman died in September of colon cancer. He was 43 years old.
On the television side of the spectrum, “Schitt’s Creek”, the story of a wealthy family who loses their fortune, and “The Crown”, a lavish historical drama about the Queen of England, obtained five nominations. “Ozark”, a brave crime saga, came close behind with four nods.
Click here for a complete list of nominations
Unlike other award programs, SAG does not honor the best film of the year. However, it recognizes the best ensemble, with last year’s cast award going to the future winner of best film, “Parasite”. This year’s best candidates for a set of films include “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”, “Minari”, “One Night in Miami”, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and “Da 5 Bloods”. “Nomadland”, which received some of the best reviews of the year and looked like an Oscar lock, did not win an award for its cast, although star Frances McDormand got a nomination.
The best set of TV drama will face basic awards, “Better Call Saul”, “The Crown” and “Ozark”, against newcomers, “Bridgerton” and “Lovecraft Country”, two series agitated in their inaugural seasons.
The best TV comedy category is a race between “Dead to Me”, “The Great” and “Schitt’s Creek”, as well as “Ted Lasso” and “The Flight Attendant”, which come from two new participants in the streaming space , Apple TV and HBO max.
The SAG, which is decided by the union of the main players in the industry, has a great coincidence with Oscar voters. Many members of the guild are also part of the Academy’s business, which makes the awards highly predictive of the glory of the future Oscar. All four last year’s SAG winners – Brad Pitt, Renee Zellweger Joaquin Phoenix and Laura Dern – won the Oscar.
In addition to Boseman, the main actor category includes Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”), Gary Oldman (“Mank”) and Steven Yeun (“Minari”). In the race for the lead actress, “Nomadland’s” McDormand must compete with Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”), Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”), Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”) and Amy Adams (“ Hillbilly Elegia “). The inclusion of Adams was a surprise, as the film was criticized by critics, and his co-star, Glenn Close, was nominated as a supporting actor.
Olivia Colman of “The Crown” was a nominated duo, for her performance in the historical drama, as well as for her supporting work in “The Father”. She joins a best actress in a TV drama race that includes two of her co-stars in the series, Gillian Anderson and Emma Corrin, as well as Laura Linney and Julia Garner from “Ozark”.
The best actor in a TV drama race is among “Ozark” protagonist Jason Bateman, “The Crown’s” Josh O’Connor, “Better Call Saul” Bob Odenkirk, “This is Us” star Sterling K. Brown and Rege-Jean Page, the protagonist of the current sensation of “Bridgerton” water coolers.
The father and son duo “Schitt’s Creek” formed by Dan Levy and Eugene Levy was nominated in the category of best actor in the category of comedy for TV. They join a contingent that includes Nicholas Hoult (“The Great”), Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso”) and Ramy Youssef (“Ramy”).
Kaley Cuoco, who anchored HBO Max’s hit “The Flight Attendant”, will compete for the best actress in a TV comedy award against “Dead to Me” duo Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini, as well as the “Schitt’s Creek” team “by Annie Murphy and Catherine O’Hara.
This year’s nominations had some surprises and scorns. Delroy Lindo, who anchored the set of “Da Five Bloods”, has been overlooked, as has Andra Day for her chameleon twist as a troubled diva in “The United State vs. Billie Holiday”. And “Lovecraft Country” may have won a nomination for the set, but its stars, Jurnee Smollett and Jonathan Majors, have been overlooked. Perhaps the strangest nomination of the day was for the stunt cast of “The Trial of the Chicago 7”, a historical drama that plays out largely in courts and antechambers. Its few sets of pieces are much smaller than the magnitude of “Tenet” or “Birds of Prey”, both of which won to be among the five finalists.
This year’s nominations were announced on Instagram Live by Lily Collins and Daveed Diggs, who was also nominated for his performance in “Hamilton”. The pair’s occasionally weird joke drew mixed reviews on social media.
The award show will air on TNT and TBS on Sunday, April 4, 2021.