The official beginning of awards season in 2026 gained its epicenter on January 7, when nominations for the 32nd Annual Actor Awards were announced. Traditionally recognized as the SAG Awards, this award ceremony resides within the topmost category of influential precursors to awards presented at the Oscars. The nominations this season not only represented industry opinions but also altered them.
At the forefront of this change is Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. This ambitious epic swept the film category with an unprecedented record-breaking seven nominations, the most nominations for any individual film in the history of the Actor Awards. Close on its heels is Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which proved to be the season’s other powerhouse with five nominations, positioning itself alongside the likes of Chicago and Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Not just One Battle After Another, but also Sinners
Anderson is no stranger to record-breaking nominations, but the extent of One Battle After Another’s success is unprecedented. Seven nominations reflect a huge level of support from the acting membership, which is the largest and most powerful voting group in the Academy. That type of recognition is a sign that the film is not only respected but is clearly resonating with actors.
Leo DiCaprio provides the anchor for the cast with his Leading Actor nomination, while the presence of breakout performer Chase Infiniti indicates that one of the big surprises of the season is set to occur. It is rare for films to juggle star power and newcomers quite as seamlessly, and this is clearly paying off in spades. In the past, films that sweep the Actor Awards have gone on to win Oscars with lightning speed, particularly in the acting and Best Picture categories.
Meanwhile, Sinners presses on with its gentle transition from being a genre standout to a player in awards season. Rounding out the list is the Leading Actor nod for Michael B. Jordan, which, in many ways, asserts the film’s credentials as something greater than just another spectacle or box office success.
Among the key trends at night is the continued legitimation of pop celebrities as serious actors. Ariana Grande notched a Supporting Actress nom for playing Glinda in Wicked: For Good, representing her second consecutive nom in the role. This is not only surprising given the shock cut of her Wicked: For Good co-star Cynthia Erivo, but also how competitive the category has become.
Meanwhile, Selena Gomez continued her impressive winning streak with another nomination in the Ensemble in a Comedy Series category for her work in Only Murders in the Building, making this the fifth year in a row that the comedy series has been honored.
In the television category, The Studio from Apple TV+ led the pack with five nominations—one away from the record. Its dominance is not surprising given the appetite for self-aware narratives that focus on the entertainment industry itself, as evident from performances that caught the notice of Seth Rogen, Kathryn Hahn, and Catherine O’Hara.
Other big nominees, such as Adolescence and The White Lotus, also managed to hold on to their ground; however, it seems that The Studio is at its peak performance. The event, which is scheduled for March 1, 2026, and will be streamed live on Netflix, is expected to give the winners an opportunity to shape the final story before the Academy Awards.
Cast in a Motion Picture
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
Female Actor in a Leading Role
- Jessie Buckley — Hamnet
- Rose Byrne — If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
- Kate Hudson — Song Sung Blue
- Chase Infiniti — One Battle After Another
- Emma Stone — Bugonia
Male Actor in a Leading Role
- Timothée Chalamet — Marty Supreme
- Leonardo DiCaprio — One Battle After Another
- Ethan Hawke — Blue Moon
- Michael B. Jordan — Sinners
- Jesse Plemons — Bugonia
Female Actor in a Supporting Role
- Odessa A’zion — Marty Supreme
- Ariana Grande — Wicked: For Good
- Amy Madigan — Weapons
- Wunmi Mosaku — Sinners
- Teyana Taylor — One Battle After Another
Male Actor in a Supporting Role
- Miles Caton — Sinners
- Benicio Del Toro — One Battle After Another
- Jacob Elordi — Frankenstein
- Paul Mescal — Hamnet
- Sean Penn — One Battle After Another
Ensemble in a Drama Series
- The Diplomat
- Landman
- The Pitt
- Severance
- The White Lotus
Ensemble in a Comedy Series
- Abbott Elementary
- The Bear
- Hacks
- Only Murders in the Building
- The Studio
Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
- Claire Danes — The Beast in Me
- Erin Doherty — Adolescence
- Sarah Snook — All Her Fault
- Christine Tremarco — Adolescence
- Michelle Williams — Dying for Sex
Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
- Jason Bateman — Black Rabbit
- Owen Cooper — Adolescence
- Stephen Graham — Adolescence
- Charlie Hunnam — Monster: The Ed Gein Story
- Matthew Rhys — The Beast in Me
Female Actor in a Drama Series
- Britt Lower — Severance
- Parker Posey — The White Lotus
- Keri Russell — The Diplomat
- Rhea Seehorn — Pluribus
- Aimee Lou Wood — The White Lotus
Male Actor in a Drama Series
- Sterling K. Brown — Paradise
- Billy Crudup — The Morning Show
- Walton Goggins — The White Lotus
- Gary Oldman — Slow Horses
- Noah Wyle — The Pitt
Female Actor in a Comedy Series
- Kathryn Hahn — The Studio
- Catherine O’Hara — The Studio
- Jenna Ortega — Wednesday
- Jean Smart — Hacks
- Kristen Wiig — Palm Royale
Male Actor in a Comedy Series
- Ike Barinholtz — The Studio
- Adam Brody — Nobody Wants This
- Ted Danson — A Man on the Inside
- Seth Rogen — The Studio
- Martin Short — Only Murders in the Building
Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
- F1
- Frankenstein
- Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
- Andor
- Landman
- The Last of Us
- Squid Game
- Stranger Things
