The 27th annual SAG Awards kicked off on Sunday night with the express purpose of combating the bloat of the most prolonged award season in recent memory with aThe ceremony, which stands as the only award show voted on entirely by actors, abandoned the traditional trappings ― no red carpet, no host, no set and definitely no afterparties ― for a streamlined and COVID-safe celebration of film and television performances over the past year.
Though the actual awards were handed out in video sessions with nominees days before the telecast ― actors honored in the 13 categories were required to sign nondisclosure agreements before the tapings ― the rest of us weren’t able to find out who won until the acceptance speeches broadcast Sunday night.
In its first major award season win, Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” took home the night’s top award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast. The film, which chronicles the trial of a real-life group of Vietnam War protesters who were falsely accused of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, stars Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Strong and Frank Langella, who all appeared to accept the trophy virtually.
Heading into the ceremony, “Minari,” A24′s stirring drama about a Korean American family settling in the rural South, and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” boasting performances from the late Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis, led the nominations. Both films still managed to pick up some prizes, with Boseman and Davis being honored in the leading acting categories and Youn Yuh-jung making history as the first Korean actress to ever win the supporting actress category.
Meanwhile, Netflix’s “The Crown” and “Schitt’s Creek,” taking one final victory lap after airing its much-lauded concluding season, dominated among the television honorees, with Gillian Anderson and Catherine O’Hara picking up individual awards. “Ted Lasso” once again made a winner out of Jason Sudeikis, who continued his award show streak with a trophy for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series.