“Wicked” Leads SAG Nominations Amid Wildfires, DGA Noms Shake Up Oscar Race

The 31st Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards nominations were unveiled Wednesday, with the film adaptation of “Wicked” leading the pack with five nominations, including best ensemble, The Associated Press reports.

However, the announcement was overshadowed by out-of-control wildfires sweeping across Southern California, forcing the cancellation of the live event and resulting in a press release format instead. Adding to the drama, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) also released its nominations, further complicating an already unpredictable awards season.

“Wicked’s” strong showing at the SAG Awards, often a key predictor for the Oscars, included individual nods for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Jonathan Bailey. The film also earned a nomination for its stunt ensemble. This triumph comes on the heels of recognition at the National Board of Review Awards on Tuesday, solidifying its position as a major Oscar contender. The other films vying for best ensemble are “Anora,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez,” and “A Complete Unknown.”

The Bob Dylan drama “A Complete Unknown” also had a strong showing with four nominations, including Timothée Chalamet for best male actor, and supporting nods for Edward Norton and Monica Barbaro. The best male lead category nominees also include Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”), Daniel Craig (“Queer”), Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”), and Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave”).

Demi Moore, fresh from her Golden Globe victory, is nominated for best female actor in a leading role for “The Substance,” alongside Erivo, “Emilia Pérez” breakout Karla Sofía Gascón, Mikey Madison (“Anora”), and Pamela Anderson (“The Last Showgirl”). Notable snubs include Angelina Jolie (“Maria”), Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”) and Globe winner Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”).

“The Last Showgirl” also celebrated an unexpected supporting female actor nomination for Jamie Lee Curtis, who joins Barbaro, Grande, Danielle Deadwyler (“The Piano Lesson”), and Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Perez”) in the category. Jeremy Strong earned a supporting actor nomination for “The Apprentice,” but his co-star Sebastian Stan, was overlooked. The supporting actor nominees also include Jonathan Bailey, Edward Norton, Yura Borisov (“Anora”) and frontrunner Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”). Denzel Washington (“Gladiator II”) and Guy Pearce (“The Brutalist”) were among those snubbed.

DGA Nominations Further Cloud the Picture

The DGA nominations, also released on Wednesday, presented a mix of familiar contenders with some significant omissions. For outstanding directorial achievement, the DGA nominated Sean Baker (“Anora”), Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez”), Edward Berger (“Conclave”), James Mangold (“A Complete Unknown”), and Brady Corbet (“The Brutalist”). Notably missing were “Wicked” director Jon M. Chu, “Dune: Part Two” director Denis Villeneuve, and any female filmmakers, including “The Substance’s” Coralie Fargeat.

The DGA’s choices have added to the uncertainty in the Best Picture race, as a DGA nomination is usually a strong indication of Oscar success. Historically, only “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989) and “CODA” (2022) have won Best Picture at the Oscars without a DGA nod. This suggests that, despite its SAG success, “Wicked” can’t yet be considered a frontrunner in the Best Picture race. Also, the exclusion of “The Brutalist” from the SAG ensemble category and the fact that “Sing Sing” only got one nomination, is bad news for the two movies.

“Shōgun” Leads TV Nominations,”The Bear,” Others Follow

On the television front, FX’s “Shōgun” continued its dominance in awards season, securing a leading five SAG nominations, including best ensemble and individual nods for Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai and Tadanobu Asano. Other series faring well include “The Bear” (Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Liza Colón-Zayas), “Hacks” (Jean Smart), and “The Diplomat” (Keri Russell, Allison Janney).

The SAG Awards will be held on February 23rd at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and will be streamed live on Netflix, hosted by Kristen Bell. Jane Fonda will receive the guild’s Life Achievement Award during the ceremony.