The 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards were held virtually on Sunday night, with the broadcast having a very different feel to previous years. With every winner’s speech performed via zoom, the shorter-than-usual night had a much more low-key and intimate tone.
However, the importance of the awards is as significant as any year when it comes to the Oscars, and we now know our frontrunners in the four major acting categories.
The two male categories have felt the most certain throughout the last few months, and there were no surprises as Chadwick Boseman and Daniel Kaluuya deservedly won their respective awards for Lead Male Actor and Supporting Male Actor.
Simone Ledward Boseman gave a passionate speech on behalf of the late Chadwick, with the night allowing everybody to celebrate the fantastic actor and performance once more.
Kaluuya’s path to his first Oscar on his second attempt seems relatively straightforward now, although it remains to be seen what effect (if any) his Judas and the Black Messiah co-star LaKeith Stanfield’s nomination will have in the Supporting Actor category.
The wide-open races this season have been with the ladies, but Sunday night proved big for two women.
Viola Davis took home the prize for leading female actor in a close contest alongside stellar contenders Frances McDormand and Carey Mulligan. While the win provides a foundation to declare Davis as the frontrunner, it must be stated that SAG liked Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom much more than the Academy, while Nomadland and Promising Young Woman are arguably the two strongest performing films at this year’s Oscars nominations.
In Supporting Female Actor, it was Minari star Youn Yuh-jung who picked up a huge win and must surely be the frontrunner in a category that has lacked one all season.
These four winners created history, with this marking the first time in the SAG awards history that the four-film acting winners were actors of color.
In the tightly contested ensemble category, The Trial of the Chicago 7 won big for its star-studded cast, beating Minari and thus likely ending (unfortunately) any Oscar hopes for Lee Isaac Chung’s masterpiece.
The win also gives a Best Picture route still for Sorkin’s drama despite his directing snub, although Nomadland’s recent PGA win will make it a near-impossible task. The smart money would be to bet on Nomadland or Chicago 7, clearly making this a two-horse race.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 didn’t manage a surprise stunt ensemble win, however, with that award going to Wonder Woman 1984, replicating its 2017 win for the first installment.
All eyes are on London this weekend for the upcoming BAFTAs, then it’s full steam ahead to April 25 as this year’s unprecedented awards season will wrap up with the 93rd Oscars.
Share your thoughts below on this year’s SAG film winners.
BEST ENSEMBLE: THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
BEST MALE ACTOR: Chadwick Boseman, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
BEST FEMALE ACTOR: Viola Davis, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
BEST MALE SUPPORTING ACTOR: Daniel Kaluuya, JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
BEST FEMALE SUPPORTING ACTOR: Youn Yuh-jung, MINARI
BEST STUNT ENSEMBLE: WONDER WOMAN 1984
