Hit musical ‘Wicked’ topped the nominations Wednesday for the influential Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, which are key to Oscars glory, while Golden Globes darling ‘The Brutalist’ only got one nod and ‘Maria’ star Angelina Jolie was shut out.
‘Wicked’, the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway smash, earned five nods including for ‘outstanding performance by a cast’ – the top SAG Awards prize – lead actress, supporting actor and actress and stunt ensemble.
Bob Dylan’s biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’ scored four nominations while the surreal narco-musical ‘Emilia Perez’, a major winner at Sunday’s Globes, scored three nods.
Those three films will battle with Cannes favourite ‘Anora’, which also had three nominations and papal thriller ‘Conclave’ for the top cast award, organisers announced.
‘The Brutalist’, an epic immigrant drama about a Hungarian architect who survives the Holocaust and moves to the United States, was left out of that category, only earning one nomination for Globes winner Adrien Brody.
The SAG Awards are voted on by Hollywood actors, who represent the biggest branch of the membership of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which votes for the Oscars.
The prizes are therefore closely watched as indicators of who might be in the running for an Academy Award.
Angelina Jolie’s failure to secure a SAG nomination for her portrayal of opera diva Maria Callas in ‘Maria’ may not bode well for her Oscars hopes.
Vying for lead actress honours with ‘Wicked’ star Cynthia Erivo will be Globes winner Demi Moore for the body horror film ‘The Substance’, Pamela Anderson, Karla Sofia Gascon and Mikey Madison.
Also left out in that stacked category was Nicole Kidman, who earned critical acclaim for her turn in the steamy ‘Babygirl’, and Globes winner Fernanda Torres, for ‘I’m Still Here’ about Brazil’s military dictatorship.
Brody will compete for lead actor honours against Ralph Fiennes in ‘Conclave’, Timothee Chalamet for his turn as Dylan in ‘A Complete Unknown’, Daniel Craig in ‘Queer’ and Colman Domingo for ‘Sing Sing’.
‘Wicked’ had a difficult night at the Golden Globes, only winning the award for cinematic and box office achievement, but it came roaring back in the SAG nominations, with Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey earning individual nods.
The SAG Awards also honour television, with the Japanese historical drama ‘Shogun’ – already a big winner at the Emmys and Golden Globes – leading with five nominations.
The SAG Awards will take place on February 23 in Los Angeles and will stream live for the second year running on Netflix. The live in-person announcement of the nominations on Wednesday was cancelled due to the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Later Wednesday, organizers of the Critics Choice Awards – scheduled for Sunday – told AFP the gala would be postponed due to the blazes.
Hollywood’s Directors’ Guild also announced its own nominations on Wednesday. The shortlist includes Sean Baker for ‘Anora’, Jacques Audiard for ‘Emilia Perez’, Edward Berger for ‘Conclave’, Brady Corbet for ‘The Brutalist’ and James Mangold for ‘A Complete Unknown’. Jon Chu was shut out for ‘Wicked’.
The DGA Awards take place on February 10.