By Melisa Rodriguez
Graphic By Maya Uribe
The 31 Screen Actors Guild Awards, held on Feb 23. provided key insights into the upcoming 97th Academy Awards, set for Mar 2. As one of the most significant predictors of Oscar success, the SAG Awards celebrate outstanding performances in film and television, often setting the stage for Hollywood’s biggest night.
A Unique Awards Season
This year’s awards season was impacted by raging wildfires across Los Angeles, which forced the guild to cancel its live, in-person nominees’ announcement last month. Instead, the nominations were revealed via press release, with the guild urging people to donate to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s natural disaster relief fund to support affected members of the entertainment industry.
Despite the challenges, the SAG Awards 2025 successfully streamed live on Netflix from the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles, continuing its tradition as a beloved industry event.
About The Screen Actors Guild Awards
The Screen Actors Guild Awards are the only televised awards ceremony exclusively honoring actors. Since its debut in 1995, the show has become an industry favorite and unlike other major awards, SAG winners are determined by their peers—over 130,000 SAG-AFTRA members, making it the largest voting body in the awards circuit.
Each year, the SAG Awards present 13 honors across film and television, recognizing both individual performances and ensemble casts. With its emphasis on peer recognition, winning a SAG Award is considered one of the most meaningful achievements for an actor and often serves as a key predictor for the Academy Awards.
SAG Awards 2025 Highlights
This year’s SAG Awards were hosted by Kristen Bell, who brought her signature charm and humor to the stage. Bell, also a nominee for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for “Nobody Wants This,” kept the night lively while celebrating the best in acting
- Outstanding Performances: Timothée Chalamet won Best Actor for his role in A Complete Unknown, while Demi Moore took home Best Actress for “The Substance.”
- Supporting Roles: Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”) and Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”) were honored as Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively.
- Ensemble Casts: “Conclave” won Best Cast in a Motion Picture, boosting its Oscar chances.
- Television Accolades: “Shōgun” dominated the TV categories, with Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai winning individual awards.
- Lifetime Achievement: Jane Fonda received the Life Achievement Award, delivering an inspiring speech on the power of storytelling.
What This Means for the Oscars
With the SAG Awards serving as a key indicator for the Academy Awards, several trends are emerging:
- Timothée Chalamet and Demi Moore now appear to be frontrunners for Best Actor and Best Actress at the Oscars, though Mikey Madison (“Anora”) remains a strong contender.
- Culkin’s consistent wins throughout awards season suggest he’s the likely Best Supporting Actor winner, with Guy Pearce (“The Brutalist”) conceding the race to him.
- In the Best Picture category, Anora has gained momentum following its Producers Guild win, while “Conclave’s” SAG Ensemble victory has positioned it as an unexpected contender that could surprise at the Oscars.
As the Oscars approach this weekend, the SAG Awards provide crucial context for predicting winners, but the Academy often delivers surprises—keeping audiences eager to see how it all unfolds. For the full list of winners, view here: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/sag-awards
