IN THE SPOTLIGHT: 10 interesting facts about the SAG Awards
10 interesting facts about the SAG Awards | Image: Instagram/@sagawards
It’s that time of year when Hollywood gathers to recognize the best of television and film as the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG Awards 2025) are set to kick off in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 23. (Feb. 24 in Manila.)
As every entertainment fan awaits this year’s stunning red carpet looks and memorable acceptance speeches, here are some of the most interesting facts and trivia about one of the major awards events in Hollywood, and how it came to hold a significance in the industry.
Only awards show voted by actors
Unlike the Oscars and the Golden Globes, SAG Awards is the only awards show where actors vote for their fellow actors. The winners are chosen by the members of SAG-AFTRA, the largest union of performers in the Hollywood industry.
As of 2025, the SAG-AFTRA consists of more than 160,000 actors, stunt performers, voice actors, and media professionals eligible to vote. An A-list celebrity or a lesser known performer’s vote carries the same value, making the SAG Awards one of the most respected honors in the industry.
Given this operation, the SAG Award trophy is called “The Actor,” a bronze statuette of a nude figure holding both a comedy and tragedy mask to symbolize the artistry of acting.
Shortest run time
The SAG Awards are known for keeping its ceremony short and simple—no host, no musical numbers, and no long commercial breaks. The ceremony typically runs just almost two hours.
Since its inception in 1995, there’s only been three times that SAG Awards announced a host, first one was in 2018 when Kristen Bell was named as the show’s first ever host in its then twenty-four year history.
Idris Elba then hosted in 2024. Now, after seven years, Bell is returning to host the 31st edition of the awards show.
View this post on Instagram
No Best Picture, Writing or Directing categories
Unlike other awards shows that awards Best Picture, the SAG Awards celebrate overall performances with the Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series or in a Motion Picture.
In 2020, Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” made history as it became the first foreign-language film to win the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast.
Over the years, the movie with the largest cast has taken home the Best Ensemble trophy, including “Shakespeare in Love” (1998), “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003), “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008), “Inglourious Basterds” (2009), “The Help” (2011) and “Black Panther” (2018), among others.
Given SAG Awards is actor-focused, it’s the only major awards show that doesn’t recognize any writing or directing award, like Best Director, Best Screenplay, or Best Cinematography.
Available live on a digital streaming platform
The SAG Awards are the only major awards show available to scream live on a digital platform. It previously streamed live on Apple TV+ before last year, as for the first time ever, the ceremony streamed live on Netflix as part of a new multiyear partnership between Netflix and the SAG Awards.
The SAG Awards were also the first major award show to embrace a virtual format because due to the pandemic, the 2021 ceremony was pre-recorded and edited into a one hour special.
This year, the ceremony is streaming live on Netflix.
First to honor stunt performers
The SAG Awards were the first major awarding body to create a category for stunt work, with separate awards for film and television.
Matt Damon and Julia Stiles’ “The Bourne Ultimatum” was the first recipient of Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture, while action-drama television “24” was named first winner for stunt work in television.
“SAG created the acting award, and it seemed a natural fit to award the stunt team. Even if it’s one person falling off a building, there’s still a whole team behind him or her to see it’s done safely. This exemplifies what the union’s already about. It seemed to everyone that this award would be embraced by the industry,” said the organization in 2008.
‘I Am an Actor’ spiel
Every SAG Awards ceremony starts with actors giving a short speech about their personal experiences as an actor, emphasizing the show’s essence of being actors-focused.
On-stage reunions
Given that the awards show celebrates Outstanding Cast or Ensemble, the ceremony has featured iconic cast reunions over the years.
Last year, the ceremony brought the cast of “The Devil Wears Prada” Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt on stage to present an award.
“The Lord of the Rings” cast also reunited for the show’s 25th anniversary.
View this post on Instagram
Key factor for Oscar predictions
The SAG Awards is considered to be the most accurate forecast of the Oscars, mainly the acting categories. Since 1995, around 70% to 80% of SAG winners have also taken home an Academy award.
For the Female Actor in a Leading Role, the SAG and the Academy have matched 21 of 29 winners, while the Male Actor in a Leading Role has succeeded to match 23 of 29 times.
Most memorable nominations
Edie Falco is the current Screen Actors Guild Awards record holder for most nominations with 22, followed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Julianna Margulies tied at 21.
Meanwhile, Jamie Foxx is the only actor to be nominated for three different performances in the same year. In 2005, he was nominated for his work in “Ray,” which he won Best Actor, “Collateral” and “Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story.”
Steve Carell is the most nominated TV actor at the SAG Awards without a single win despite being nominated multiple times for his role as Michael Scott in “The Office” and later on for “The Morning Show.”
Most memorable wins
One of the most emotional moments in SAG Awards history came when Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight” (2009). His cast mates gave a moving tribute as they accepted the award on his behalf.
Meanwhile, the 2021 SAG Awards became a tribute to Chadwick Boseman for his performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” that earned him a posthumous Best Actor win. His widow, Simone Ledward Boseman, received the award on his behalf.
Despite being one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Leonardo DiCaprio had never won a SAG Award until 2016 for his work “The Revenant.” At the time, the actor was already nominated for nine times but never won, making his first win memorable.
Cate Blanchett is the only actor who won Best Supporting Actress for Elizabeth (1998) and later won Best Actress for “Elizabeth: The Golden Age: (2007) for playing the same character in separate films.
Alec Baldwin holds the record for the most individual SAG Awards, winning seven times for his role in “30 Rock.”
