2026 ACTOR AWARDS
Nominations Announced: January 7, 2026
Awards Ceremony: March 1, 2026
When actors vote for actors, Oscar voters listen. The Screen Actors Guild (now rebranded as the Actor Awards) represents the largest voting bloc that overlaps with the Academy, which makes these nominations a crucial piece of the puzzle. This year, One Battle After Another dominated with seven nods, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn, plus ensemble and stunt ensemble recognition. Ryan Coogler's Sinners followed with five. Harrison Ford picks up the Life Achievement Award, and Netflix streams the whole thing live as part of a multi-year deal. So far, so good. But here's what frustrates me every single year: the television categories remain a mess. Film actors get separate supporting categories. Television actors? They lump leads and supporting players together. Jean Smart's lead performance in Hacks competes against Catherine O'Hara, who isn't even in every episode of The Studio. Hannah Einbinder, Smart's Emmy-winning co-star, gets shut out entirely. Ike Barinholtz has to go up against Seth Rogen. A dedicated supporting category would give everyone their due. The 12-pound bronze statue winners take home features a nude male figure holding comedy and tragedy masks. Fun fact: only three films have ever been nominated in every eligible category. Shakespeare in Love, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and now One Battle After Another.
🏆 POST-CEREMONY UPDATE 🏆
The Actor Awards are in the books, and I am absolutely over the moon about Amy Madigan's win for Weapons. She has been delivering powerhouse work for decades and to see her finally receive this recognition is genuinely thrilling. More importantly, the surprise Best Ensemble win for Sinners—combined with Michael B. Jordan's Best Actor victory—has me feeling renewed hope that Coogler's masterpiece is still very much in the Best Picture conversation. As of tonight, the only thing that feels like a certainty on Oscar night is Jessie Buckley taking Best Actress for Hamnet—and honestly? That's fine by me.
Looking ahead: Supporting Actress feels wide open. I'd genuinely be happy with anyone in that category taking the Oscar, though I desperately want Madigan's name to be the one called. Supporting Actor is more complicated—I still think it's a tragedy that Benicio del Toro is even nominated over Paul Mescal for Hamnet. I'm holding out hope that voters will recognize the genuine transformation in Jacob Elordi's Frankenstein performance and understand how little the makeup and effects actually contributed to what we saw onscreen. As for Sean Penn—he's one of the all-time greats, that's not in question, but I feel like I've seen him do this kind of role before. I'm pulling for Elordi.
In Best Actor—I'm sorry to say it, but the only name I don't want to hear is Chalamet. Not because of the performance, but because Marty Supreme has gone so far down in my estimation over the last month. Michael B. Jordan had two roles to play—three if we're being serious—and he's sensational in both. Or the Academy could take the easy road and go with another memorable Leo performance. While the Sinners ensemble win gives me a modicum of hope for its Best Picture chances, I still feel Hamnet takes the top prize and PTA takes home Best Director. But I'm sure I'll waffle a great deal between now and that final envelope being opened. At least I don't think it's going to be as predictable as we once imagined.
FILM
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
⭐ Sinners - WINNER! ⭐
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
⭐ Jessie Buckley, Hamnet - WINNER! ⭐
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
Emma Stone, Bugonia
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
⭐ Michael B. Jordan, Sinners - WINNER! ⭐
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Jesse Plemons, Bugonia
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
⭐ Amy Madigan, Weapons - WINNER! ⭐
Odessa A'zion, Marty Supreme
Ariana Grande, Wicked: For Good
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
⭐ Sean Penn, One Battle After Another - WINNER! ⭐
Miles Caton, Sinners
Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
Paul Mescal, Hamnet
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
⭐ Mission: Impossible − The Final Reckoning - WINNER! ⭐
TELEVISION
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
⭐ The Pitt - WINNER! ⭐
The Diplomat
Landman
Severance
The White Lotus
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
⭐ The Studio - WINNER! ⭐
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
Only Murders in the Building
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
⭐ Keri Russell, The Diplomat - WINNER! ⭐
Britt Lower, Severance
Parker Posey, The White Lotus
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Aimee Lou Wood, The White Lotus
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
⭐ Noah Wyle, The Pitt - WINNER! ⭐
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Walton Goggins, The White Lotus
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
⭐ Catherine O'Hara, The Studio - WINNER! (posthumous) ⭐
Kathryn Hahn, The Studio
Jenna Ortega, Wednesday
Jean Smart, Hacks
Kristen Wiig, Palm Royale
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
⭐ Seth Rogen, The Studio - WINNER! ⭐
Ike Barinholtz, The Studio
Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This
Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
⭐ Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex - WINNER! ⭐
Claire Danes, The Beast in Me
Erin Doherty, Adolescence
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
Christine Tremarco, Adolescence
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
⭐ Owen Cooper, Adolescence - WINNER! ⭐
Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
Stephen Graham, Adolescence
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
⭐ The Last of Us - WINNER! ⭐
Andor
Landman
Squid Game
Stranger Things