Winners of the 2026 Actor Awards: One film increases its Oscar chances
One Battle After Another failed to gain traction
"Sinners" is the big winner at the 2026 SAG-AFTRA's Actor Awards. The vampire drama by director and screenwriter Ryan Coogler won the top prize for Best Ensemble Cast. Michael B. Jordan also won the award for Best Lead Actor for his dual role as twins Smoke and Stack.
Jessie Buckley was named Best Actress for her role as William Shakespeare's wife Agnes in Chloé Zhao's "Hamnet." Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for his role as the racist soldier Lockjaw in the thriller comedy "One Battle After Another," while Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for her role as the terrifying Gladys in the horror film "Weapons."
Actor Award as an important prize on the road to the Oscars
Since 1995, the Screen Actors Guild Award has honored the best acting performances of the year and is considered an important award on the road to the Oscars, which will be presented on March 15, 2026. "One Battle After Another" is actually considered the biggest favorite at this year's Academy Awards. Paul Thomas Anderson's film has already received numerous awards that serve as important indicators for the Academy Awards. These include major prizes such as the Critics' Choice Award for Best Film and the Golden Globe for Best Comedy. Most experts predict that "One Battle After Another" will also take home the Oscar for Best Film.
However, "Sinners" is increasingly emerging as its biggest competitor. The vampire drama is in the running for the 2026 Academy Awards with a record 16 nominations – no other film has ever received so many Oscar nominations. The fact that "Sinners" has now prevailed at the Actor Awards against the equally nominated casts of "Frankenstein," "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme," and even "One Battle After Another" only increases its chances of winning the Oscar for Best Picture.
A look at the statistics shows that of the films that have won the SAG-AFTRA's Actor Award for Best Cast in the last 31 years, 15 have also won the Oscar for Best Picture. Not a bad track record, even if it's obviously not a sure thing. In any case, Ryan Coogler has already made history. He is now the first director to win the Actor Award for Best Cast for the second time, as reported by Variety. He first achieved this in 2019 for his Marvel superhero film "Black Panther."
Two favorites swept the TV series awards
In addition to film, TV awards are also presented at the SAG-AFTRA's Actor Awards. Once again, "The Pitt" and "The Studio" came out on top. The two series have already won numerous awards, including Emmy and Golden Globe awards for best drama and comedy series, respectively. This was also the case at the Actor Awards. The hospital series "The Pitt" won the award for best cast in the drama category. Noah Wyle also won the award for best drama actor. In the comedy category, the Hollywood satire "The Studio" was honored for best cast. In addition, lead actor Seth Rogen and Catherine O'Hara, who passed away in January of this year, were honored as best comedy actors.
All the winners of the SAG-AFTRA's Actor Awards 2026 can be found here at a glance:
Film
Best Film Ensemble Cast: "Sinners"
Best Film Actor: Michael B. Jordan for "Sinners"
Best Film Actress: Jessie Buckley for "Hamnet"
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Sean Penn for "One Battle After Another"
Best Supporting Actress in a Film: Amy Madigan for "Weapons"
Best Stunt Ensemble in a Film: "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning"
Lifetime Achievement Award: Harrison Ford
TV
Best Ensemble Cast in a Series (Drama): "The Pitt"
Best Actor in a Series (Drama): Noah Wyle for "The Pitt"
Best Actress in a Series (Drama): Keri Russell for "The Diplomat"
Best Ensemble Cast in a Series (Comedy): "The Studio"
Best Actress in a Series (Comedy): Catherine O'Hara for "The Studio"
Best Actor in a Series (Comedy): Seth Rogen for "The Studio"
Best Actress (TV Movie or Miniseries): Michelle Williams for "Dying For Sex"
Best Actor (TV Movie or Miniseries): Owen Cooper for "Adolescence"
Best Stunt Ensemble in a TV Series: "The Last of Us"
