The 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards will be held on Feb. 23, 2025, with nominations announced Jan. 8. But movies and TV shows are already jockeying for position in the awards race, which are voted on by SAG-AFTRA actors. Variety took a look at some of the titles competing in the busy landscape.
Film Categories
Will Musicals Rule?
SAG Awards voters have often gravitated towards musicals (even the disappointing 2009 musical “Nine” got a nomination for its ensemble), and this year there are two major contenders set to make waves: “Emilia Pérez” and “Wicked.” In addition to strong contenders for the ensemble award, look for the female actor categories to feature several of the thesps. In the lead category, Cynthia Erivo could earn her second SAG Award nomination for “Wicked” while Karla Sofia Gascón, as the titular Emilia, could make history as the first openly trans woman nominated in the category.
In the supporting categories, Erivo’s co-star Ariana Grande should score her second SAG nom (her first was for the “Don’t Look Up” ensemble) for her delightful and surprising turn. And Zoe Saldaña seems a lock for a supporting nom for “Emilia Pérez,” but don’t count out her co-stars Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz, either. Also, in the male supporting category, keep an eye on scene-stealer Jonathan Bailey in “Wicked” — his performance of “Dancing Through Life” is
a showstopper.
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Reel Life
As always, actors portraying real individuals are a big part of the landscape. The “Sing Sing” cast is made up largely of ex-convicts playing themselves and is a likely ensemble nominee, while Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin look strong for lead actor and supporting actor, respectively. Angelina Jolie shines as opera star Maria Callas in “Maria,” and even does her own singing. So does Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” which also features Edward Norton in a supporting turn as Pete Seeger. Fernanda Torres is earning raves for her work as activist Eunice Paiva in “I’m Still Here” — her director Walter Salles previously directed her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, to an Oscar nom for 1998’s “Central Station.”
Detailing the news crew who covered the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage situation, the ensemble of “September 5,” including Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro, seems to be resonating with audiences. There’s also the cast of “Nickel Boys,” examining the horrors inflicted at an abusive reform school, featuring a supporting turn by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as a caring grandmother. And while not technically a true story, Daniel Craig is earning attention for playing against type as an expat in Mexico City (a stand-in for author William Burroughs) in the adaptation of Burroughs’ novel “Queer.”
Sequels on the Landscape
Chalamet could end up competing against himself, as he also stars in “Dune: Part Two.” While the first film failed to get an ensemble nod, the sequel delved more into the characters and could earn recognition. Another part two in play is “Gladiator II”; the original landed noms for its ensemble, lead and supporting actors. History could repeat for the ensemble and particularly for supporting actor Denzel Washington.
Order an Old Fashioned
While some put a negative connotation on the term “old fashioned,” there are several films this year that have a classical feel. “Conclave,” about the selection of a new pope, feels like a classic courtroom thriller with Ralph Fiennes leading in one of his finest performances. In addition to the ensemble, supporting actors Isabella Rossellini and Stanley Tucci are particular standouts. Similarly, Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” is a WWII epic with a breakthrough lead performance by 11-year-old Elliott Heffernan in his film debut. “The Piano Lesson” is the third film adaptation of an August Wilson play following “Fences” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” both of which earned nods for their ensembles and individual actors. “Piano Lesson” could make it a perfect trifecta, while female supporting actor Danielle Deadwyler looks certain to score an individual nom. And while made on an independent budget, Brady Corbett’s period piece “The Brutalist” has the feel of a sweeping epic — and a trio of performances likely to earn accolades with lead actor Adrien Brody and supporting players Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones.
Standout Performances Shine
One of the most buzzed-about performances of the year has to be Mikey Madison as a sex worker in Sean Baker’s “Anora” — though the whole cast is outstanding, it could also be a sleeper ensemble player. Other players in the mix for lead actress: Amy Adams as a woman becoming a dog in “Nightbitch,” Venice Film Festival actress award winner Nicole Kidman in “Babygirl,” Marianne Jean-Baptise in “Hard Truths” and Pamela Anderson in the titular role of “The Last Showgirl.” Leading male actors who could surprise include Hugh Grant in “Heretic” and Sebastian Stan in “The Apprentice.” On the supporting side, Kiernan Culkin shines as a lovable screwup in “A Real Pain.” Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, as two sides of a woman in the limelight in “The Substance,” could end up splitting lead and supporting honors.
TV Categories
Fan Favorites Return
With a large quantity of series in contention for the year’s SAG ceremony, one thing is for sure: the drama nominees have a bit more of a chance this year now that “Succession” is out of the way. In fact, none of last year’s drama ensemble noms — “The Crown,” “The Gilded Age,” “The Last of Us” and “The Morning Show” — are eligible. This means that the door is now open for some of fan favorites from past years to get back into the race. Apple TV+’s “Bad Sisters” returns with its second season this month. HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” which earned a nom in the stunt category in 2023, is eligible again, as is AppleTV+’s “Slow Horses” and Netflix’s “The Diplomat,” the latter of which earned a nom for leading actress Keri Russell.
The most highly anticipated, however, is 2021 drama ensemble winner “Squid Game,” which returns with its second season on Netflix Dec. 26. Season 1 of the series won three of the four awards for which it was nominated at the 28th annual ceremony, including male actor (Lee Jung-jae) and female actor (Jung Ho-yeon).
In the comedy category, there are more returners. The 2024 winner, “The Bear,” is back in contention, as is “Only Murders in the Building” and “Abbott Elementary.” This year marks the return of Apple TV+’s “Shrinking” and Max’s “Hacks.” The latter, led by Jean Smart, earned ensemble nominations in 2022 and 2023; while it lost both times, Smart took home female actor both years.
New Arrivals
This year also opens the door to multiple fresh contenders in the drama and comedy categories. Amazon Prime Video’s “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (and its leads Donald Glover and Maya Erskine) are likely to make a splash, as are the star-studded casts of Apple TV+’s “Palm Royale” and “Presumed Innocent,” and FX’s Emmy favorite “Shōgun.”
In fact, November and December have so many big series launching that there could be an influx of brand-new shows being nominated shortly after their debut. Prime launches “Cross,” Paramount+ debuts “Landman” and “The Agency,” Hulu rolls out “Interior Chinatown,” Max has “Dune: Prophecy” and Netflix premieres “The Madness,” “Black Doves” and “No Good Deed.”
For the Love of A-List
When actors recognize actors, it’s important to note that this crop of contending shows is filled with big talent. Robert Downey Jr. has been making the awards rounds all year with “The Sympathizer,” so he’s likely to be back on the list; Max’s upcoming espionage thriller “The Agency” is produced by George Clooney and stars Michael Fassbender, Richard Gere and Jeffrey Wright — just to name a few. Taylor Sheridan’s “Landman” is led by Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm and Demi Moore while Netflix’s “No Good Deed” features Ray Romano, Lisa Kudrow, Denis Leery, Linda Cardellini and Luke Wilson.
So, does star power have that much power over stars? Only time will tell.