The first nominations under the Actor Awards rebrand include major contenders and notable snubs.
The 2026 Actor Awards nominations are out, and two films have firmly positioned themselves as this season’s frontrunners: One Battle After Another and Sinners.
Formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards, this year’s ceremony marks the first time the honors are officially presented under their new name, the Actor Awards, following a recent rebrand by SAG-AFTRA.
The change aligns the show’s name with its long-standing trophy, “The Actor,” and reflects the union’s post-merger identity after SAG and AFTRA combined in 2012. With the awards now streaming globally on Netflix, the updated title also makes the ceremony more recognizable to international audiences. For a full breakdown of what changed and why, we explain it here.
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The season’s strongest contenders
One Battle After Another delivered a strong and largely expected showing. Leonardo DiCaprio and Chase Infiniti were nominated in lead acting categories, while Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro earned supporting actor nods. The film remains one of the season’s most consistent performers across major awards bodies.
Sinners, however, exceeded expectations. In addition to Michael B. Jordan’s lead actor nomination, the film picked up supporting nominations for Wunmi Mosaku and newcomer Miles Caton. The expanded recognition positions the film as a serious contender heading into awards season.
Notable snubs that drew attention
Awards season is never without its surprises. Several notable performances were left out of this year’s nominations. While Ariana Grande earned a nod for Wicked: For Good, her co-star Cynthia Erivo did not appear in the lead actress category.
Jay Kelly stars George Clooney and Adam Sandler were both shut out too, as were Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt for The Smashing Machine. International films also didn’t make it. The Norwegian drama Sentimental Value received no nominations despite its buzz, and Wagner Moura was overlooked for The Secret Agent after scoring a Golden Globe nomination.
The Actor Awards are voted on by roughly 160,000 members of SAG-AFTRA, making them one of the most reliable predictors of Oscar success. While last year’s SAG and Oscar nominations didn’t align perfectly, actors who go on to win Academy Awards are almost always nominated here first.
Despite the new name, the fundamentals remain the same: Fifteen awards voted on by SAG-AFTRA members. Film and television categories unchanged. The same prestige that makes the ceremony a key stop on the road to the Oscars.
Here are the 2026 Actor Awards Nominees
Film
Outstanding Cast
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Actor in a Lead Role
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Jesse Plemons, Bugonia
Actress in a Lead Role
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
Emma Stone, Bugonia
Actor in a Supporting Role
Miles Caton, Sinners
Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
Paul Mescal, Hamnet
Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
Actress in a Supporting Role
Odessa A’zion, Marty Supreme
Ariana Grande, Wicked: For Good
Amy Madigan, Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
Stunt Ensemble in a Movie
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Television
Ensemble in a Drama Series
The Diplomat
Landman
The Pitt
Severance
The White Lotus
Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
Only Murders in the Building
The Studio
Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Walton Goggins, The White Lotus
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Actress in a Drama Series
Britt Lower, Severance
Parker Posey, The White Lotus
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Aimee Lou Wood, The White Lotus
Actor in a Comedy Series
Ike Barinholtz, The Studio
Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This
Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside
Seth Rogen, The Studio
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Actress in a Comedy Series
Kathryn Hahn, The Studio
Catherine O’Hara, The Studio
Jenna Ortega, Wednesday
Jean Smart, Hacks
Kristen Wiig, Palm Royale
Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series
Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
Owen Cooper, Adolescence
Stephen Graham, Adolescence
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me
Actress in a TV Movie or Limited Series
Claire Danes, The Beast in Me
Erin Doherty, Adolescence
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
Christine Tremarco, Adolescence
Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex
Stunt Ensemble in a TV Series
Andor
Landman
The Last of Us
Squid Game
Stranger Things
The Actor Awards will be presented live on March 1, streaming on Netflix.
