‘Sinners’ Surges at SAG Awards, Shaking Up the Oscar Race

Two weeks before the Academy Awards, the 32nd Annual SAG Actor Awards delivered a jolt to an Oscar race that many had considered all but settled.

Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller Sinners emerged as the night’s biggest winner, taking Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and boosting its already formidable awards-season momentum. The film also scored a major individual victory, with Michael B. Jordan winning Best Actor — a result that upended expectations after Timothée Chalamet had been widely viewed as the frontrunner.

Jordan, visibly surprised, told the audience he had not anticipated the win and expressed gratitude for the nomination and recognition.

The ensemble award is often seen as a key predictor for Best Picture at the Oscars, making Sinners a serious contender heading into the March 15 ceremony. The film leads this year’s Academy Awards nominations with 16 — the highest total ever recorded for a single title — while Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another follows with 13.

Until now, One Battle After Another had dominated the season, collecting top honors at the Golden Globes, the Producers Guild Awards, the BAFTAs and the Directors Guild Awards. At the SAG ceremony, however, it secured just one acting trophy, for Sean Penn.

Elsewhere, Jessie Buckley continued her steady run by winning Best Actress for Hamnet, reinforcing her status as the category’s favorite. In the supporting ranks, Amy Madigan picked up an award for her performance in the horror film Weapons. Madigan had lost traction after early-season success, but the SAG win revives her Oscar prospects at a crucial moment.

One of the evening’s most emotional moments came with a posthumous victory for Catherine O'Hara for her work on the television series The Studio. O’Hara, who died in January at age 71, received a standing ovation at the Shine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Series creator Seth Rogen accepted the award on her behalf, praising her generosity and talent.

The Studio also won Best Comedy Ensemble, while Rogen claimed Best Comedy Actor. In drama categories, the medical series The Pitt was recognized with Best Drama Ensemble, and Noah Wyle took home Best TV Drama Actor.

The ceremony concluded with a lifetime achievement award for Harrison Ford, whose six-decade career spans blockbuster franchises and acclaimed dramas. The 83-year-old actor joked that the honor felt premature, describing himself as fortunate to still be working in a profession he loves.

With the SAG Awards often regarded as one of the most reliable Oscar bellwethers, the night’s results suggest that the Best Picture race is far from decided. While One Battle After Another had appeared unstoppable, Sinners now enters the final stretch with renewed momentum — and a growing sense that the Academy vote may not be as predictable as once thought.

Written by Sandy van Dongen