The actors have spoken, and the road to the 32nd annual ceremony officially has its map.
Wednesday morning, the SAG-AFTRA union unveiled the nominees for the newly rebranded Actor Awards 2026, signaling a major shift in the Hollywood awards landscape. Formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, the ceremony, now leaning into its “for actors, by actors” identity, was announced via a livestream by Abbott Elementary favorite Janelle James and Heated Rivalry breakout Connor Storrie.
The morning belonged to Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which secured a record-breaking seven nominations, followed closely by Ryan Coogler’s genre-bending Sinners with five. While the list celebrated veteran heavyweights like Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Stone, it also sparked immediate online chatter regarding notable omissions and the industry’s evolving relationship with its stars’ public personas.
The nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, the ceremony’s highest honor, is a crowded field of prestige and powerhouse ensembles. Joining One Battle After Another and Sinners are the casts of Frankenstein, Hamnet, and Marty Supreme.
Timothée Chalamet, coming off a win last year for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, finds himself back in the Lead Actor race for Marty Supreme.
He faces a formidable gauntlet: DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), and Jesse Plemons (Bugonia).
On the actress side, the race is equally historic. Chase Infiniti, the breakout star of Anderson’s thriller, secured a Lead Actress nod alongside veterans Emma Stone (Bugonia), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), and Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue).
However, as with any major reveal, it’s the names not called that fueled the most conversation. Despite widespread critical acclaim, Cynthia Erivo was omitted for her lead performance in Wicked: For Good, even as her co-star Ariana Grande secured a Supporting Actress nomination.
The exclusion of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for The Smashing Machine also sent shockwaves through social media, as many experts predicted the role would be his “prestige” breakthrough.
Amidst the celebratory news, the awards season backdrop remains charged with a familiar brand of celebrity scrutiny. This year, the discourse surrounding “The Actor” has often pivoted from the craft itself to the physical and personal costs of the spotlight.
Cooper, whose latest directorial effort Is This Thing On? (starring Will Arnett and Laura Dern) opened to rave reviews in late December, has become a case study in how modern leading men navigate the intersection of career longevity and public speculation. Over the past year, Cooper has occasionally “addressed speculation” regarding his appearance and the intense physical transformations required for his roles.
In previous discussions, Cooper has been candid about the vulnerability of being a public figure in the age of high-definition lenses and social media armchair experts. According to his own words during a recent podcast appearance, he has focused on the “theatrical experience” and the emotional truth of his characters rather than the noise of “online chatter.”
This mirrors a broader industry trend where actors, from Chalamet to Ariana Grande, are increasingly “responding to online chatter” regarding their bodies or lifestyle choices. Grande, for instance, has previously spoken about the “scary” nature of constant public commentary on her health and appearance, a conversation that resurfaced following her history-making consecutive nominations for playing Glinda.
The 2026 nominations arrive at a time when the “cosmetic procedure discourse” has become an unavoidable part of the awards cycle. Fans and critics alike often dissect red-carpet appearances with a level of detail that borders on the invasive.
The industry at large is currently grappling with how to balance the marketing of a “perfect” movie star with the reality of aging and the pressures of the camera. The Actor Awards, because they are voted on by peers, often act as a buffer against this, prioritizing the performance over the aesthetic. Yet, the public-facing side of these nominations, the press tours, the late-night appearances, the Instagram posts, remains a minefield of speculation.
“The union is about the work,” one veteran SAG-AFTRA member, who requested anonymity, shared. “But we’d be lying if we said the external pressure to look a certain way doesn’t play into the mental health of every person on that list.”
By rebranding the ceremony to “The Actor Awards,” leadership appears to be making a concerted effort to reclaim the narrative. The focus is shifting toward the labor, the “ensemble,” and the “stunt performance”; all categories where One Battle After Another and Sinners excelled.
On the small screen, the nominations reflected a similar preoccupation with the industry’s inner workings. The Studio, Apple’s biting satire of Hollywood executive culture, dominated the comedy categories with five nominations. Seth Rogen, Kathryn Hahn, Catherine O’Hara, and Ike Barinholtz all received individual nods, a testament to the show’s “punchy” and often meta-commentary on fame.
In the drama categories, the return of The White Lotus proved its staying power, earning four nods, including individual recognition for Walton Goggins, Parker Posey, and Aimee Lou Wood. Meanwhile, the Netflix limited series Adolescence proved to be a powerhouse in the TV Movie/Limited Series field, landing four solo acting nominations for its cast, including Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty.
The 32nd annual Actor Awards will be streamed live globally on Netflix on Sunday, March 1. This continues the guild’s partnership with the streaming giant, a move designed to bring the “actors’ awards” to a wider, more digitally-native audience.
One of the most anticipated moments of the night will be the presentation of the Life Achievement Award to Harrison Ford.
The legendary actor’s career spans over five decades, and his presence on the stage is expected to be a grounding force for a ceremony that is otherwise leaning into a “new era” of branding.
As the race moves toward the finish line, the dialogue will likely continue to shift between the excellence of the work and the culture of celebrity that surrounds it. Whether it’s Timothée Chalamet’s potential back-to-back win or Leonardo DiCaprio’s quest for another trophy, the 2026 Actor Awards are shaping up to be a definitive moment in Hollywood history.
What you need to know:
- The Rebrand: The Screen Actors Guild Awards are officially now “The Actor Awards.”
- Leading Films: One Battle After Another leads with 7 nominations; Sinners follows with 5.
- TV Leader: The Studio is the most-nominated television series with 5 nods.
- Life Achievement: Harrison Ford is the confirmed recipient of the 2026 Life Achievement Award.
- Broadcast Date: The ceremony will stream live on Netflix on March 1, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.
- Ariana Grande’s History: Grande is the first actor in SAG-AFTRA history to receive consecutive nominations for the same character (Glinda) in different films.
- Chalamet’s Streak: Timothée Chalamet won the Lead Actor award in 2025 for A Complete Unknown.
- Union Identity: SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin emphasized that the rebrand is intended to celebrate the awards as being “created exclusively by actors and for actors.”
What Remains Speculation
- The “Snub” Backlash: While Cynthia Erivo’s omission has caused a stir, the guild has not commented on individual voting tallies or reasoning.
- Appearance Theories: Despite “online chatter” regarding various nominees’ physical appearances, these remain unverified fan theories and have not been addressed by official medical sources or the actors themselves beyond general statements on the pressures of the industry.
- Future Roles: Rumors regarding casting for the 2027 season (including James Bond and horror franchise reboots) continue to circulate, but were not part of the official Actor Awards announcement.
