The Actor Awards took place in Los Angeles on Sunday delivering a night of unexpected victories and major momentum shifts ahead of the Oscars. Organised by SAG-AFTRA the ceremony celebrates outstanding performances in film and television and is widely regarded as a key indicator for the upcoming Academy Awards.
This year’s standout success was Sinners directed by Ryan Coogler which secured two of the most coveted film prizes. The horror drama won Best Ensemble Cast and saw Michael B. Jordan take home the award for Male Actor in a Leading Role. Both wins were considered surprises particularly against strong expectations for One Battle After Another and Timothée Chalamet in their respective categories.
The ceremony streamed live on Netflix and continued to reinforce its status as a crucial bellwether event in Hollywood’s awards calendar.
In other major film categories Jessie Buckley won Female Actor in a Leading Role for Hamnet while Amy Madigan earned Female Actor in a Supporting Role for Weapons. Sean Penn secured Male Actor in a Supporting Role for One Battle After Another and the stunt ensemble honour went to Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.
Television categories also delivered notable victories. The Pitt claimed Drama Ensemble and saw Noah Wyle win Male Actor in a Drama Series. The Studio dominated comedy categories including Ensemble with Seth Rogen and Catherine O’Hara taking acting honours. Keri Russell won Female Actor in a Drama Series for The Diplomat while Michelle Williams and Owen Cooper triumphed in limited series categories for Dying For Sex and Adolescence respectively. The stunt ensemble award in television was awarded to The Last Of Us.
With major surprises shaking up predictions the Actor Awards 2026 have added fresh intrigue to the race leading into the Oscars season.