The 32nd Actor Awards (formerly SAG Awards) took place on Saturday night at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and streamed live on Netflix.
Voted on by over 118,000 SAG-AFTRA members, the event honored top performances while highlighting labor solidarity and creative excellence.
Host Kristen Bell, returning for her third stint at the helm, delivered on her promise of a politics-free evening, keeping the focus squarely on the art of storytelling with her signature wit and warmth.
The night belonged to Ryan Coogler‘s gripping drama Sinners, which stormed the film categories like a force of nature, securing three major wins out of its five nominations and only faltering in one race.
The film’s ensemble cast took home the coveted Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, edging out strong contenders like Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another—which led the pack with seven nods overall—and the literary adaptation Hamnet.
Michael B. Jordan’s powerhouse portrayal in Sinners earned him the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, besting a formidable lineup that included Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), and Jesse Plemons (Bugonia).
Jordan’s victory speech was a highlight, as he dedicated the award to “the unsung heroes who fight silent battles every day,” drawing thunderous applause from the star-studded audience.
On the female side, Jessie Buckley claimed the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her nuanced work in Hamnet, triumphing over Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another), and Emma Stone (Bugonia).
Buckley’s win added a touch of poetic justice to the evening, as Hamnet—a Shakespearean tale of grief and resilience—resonated deeply with voters in a year marked by introspective narratives.
Supporting categories delivered their share of drama, with Sean Penn snagging the Male Actor honor for his role in One Battle After Another, outpacing Miles Caton (Sinners), Benicio Del Toro (One Battle After Another), Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), and Paul Mescal (Hamnet).
The night’s biggest upset came in the Female Supporting Actress race, where Amy Madigan’s performance in Weapons stunned prognosticators by defeating favorites Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another) and Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), alongside Odessa A’Zion (Marty Supreme) and Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good). Madigan’s emotional acceptance, reflecting on her decades-long career, underscored the awards’ appreciation for veteran talent in an industry often fixated on youth.
Stunt performers weren’t overlooked, with Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning claiming the Best Movie Stunt Ensemble over F1, Frankenstein, One Battle After Another, and Sinners. The win highlighted the franchise’s enduring commitment to practical action in an era dominated by CGI.
Shifting to television, the comedy landscape was utterly dominated by The Studio, which swept its categories in a rare trifecta. The series won Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, surpassing Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, and Only Murders in the Building.
Seth Rogen took home Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for his role, beating Ike Barinholtz (The Studio), Adam Brody (Nobody Wants This), Ted Danson (A Man on the Inside), and Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building).
The evening’s most poignant moment arrived when Catherine O’Hara was posthumously awarded Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for The Studio, prevailing over Kathryn Hahn (The Studio), Jenna Ortega (Wednesday), Jean Smart (Hacks), and Kristen Wiig (Palm Royale).
Rogen, accepting on her behalf, delivered a tearful tribute that blended humor and heartbreak, recalling O’Hara’s infectious laughter and unmatched timing. “She made us all better just by being in the room,” Rogen said, turning the Shrine into a sea of misty eyes and standing ovations.
Drama series honors were more evenly distributed, with The Pitt emerging victorious in the Ensemble category against The Diplomat, Landman, Severance, and The White Lotus. Noah Wyle’s intense performance in The Pitt earned him the Male Actor award, topping Sterling K. Brown (Paradise), Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Walton Goggins (The White Lotus), and Gary Oldman (Slow Horses).
Keri Russell claimed the Female Actor prize for The Diplomat, outshining Britt Lower (Severance), Parker Posey (The White Lotus), Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus), and Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus).
Limited series and TV movies brought fresh faces to the forefront. Young phenom Owen Cooper made history as one of the youngest SAG acting winners ever, securing Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series for Adolescence, ahead of Jason Bateman (Black Rabbit), Stephen Graham (Adolescence), Charlie Hunnam (Monster: The Ed Gein Story), and Matthew Rhys (The Beast in Me).
Michelle Williams rounded out the night with a win in the Female category for Dying for Sex, besting Claire Danes (The Beast in Me), Erin Doherty (Adolescence), Sarah Snook (All Her Fault), and Christine Tremarco (Adolescence).
TV stunts went to The Last of Us, which beat out Andor, Landman, Squid Game, and Stranger Things, a nod to the post-apocalyptic series’ visceral action sequences.
As the curtain fell on this year’s Actor Awards, the results solidified Sinners and The Studio as frontrunners heading into Oscar season, while reminding us of the unpredictable magic that makes these nights unforgettable. With Bell’s light touch guiding the proceedings, the event proved once again why it’s a beloved staple: it’s by actors, for actors, and about the craft that binds them all.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The 2026 Actor Awards belonged overwhelmingly to Sinners and The Studio. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners dominated the film side with the Best Cast prize, Michael B. Jordan’s leading actor win, and only one category loss all night, cementing it as the clear frontrunner for major awards season.
The Studio swept the comedy categories, winning ensemble, male (Seth Rogen), and female (posthumous for Catherine O’Hara) acting honors.
The night’s biggest surprise was Amy Madigan’s upset supporting actress victory in Weapons, while young Owen Cooper and a heartfelt Rogen tribute to O’Hara provided the most emotional moments. These results make Sinners and The Studio the performances and projects to watch heading into the rest of the awards season.
