ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Why The SAGs Don't Have A Best Picture Category

The Screen Actor's Guild nominations for 2019 are here (in fact, they're all listed right here) and while you're probably obsessing over some of your favorite actors getting nominations for stellar turns this year, you might be wondering what the nominees for best picture are.
The answer? There aren't any.
There's a simple reason why. The SAG awards are held by the Screen Actor's Guild, which is actually a union called SAG-AFTRA that offers health plans and pensions for working actors. The union also represents actors in disputes with studios when needed, and support programs for young performers.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
But the most fun thing SAG does is host the annual awards show, which honors actors across multiple mediums, not films themselves specifically.
That is why the category to watch is the heart-warming ensemble acting awards for TV and movies. If you've watched the show before, you know that's when all the actors from a movie like The Favourite or a show like Stranger Things pile on to the awards show stage, out-of-breath and grinning ear to ear.
Of course, you may have noticed not every member of the cast is always on stage. That's because the Guild has pretty specific (and sometimes unfortunate) rules around who from the ensemble gets a nod – and who doesn't.
According to The Film Experience, the rule for inclusion in the ensemble category boils down to one simple thing: you need your own title card in a movie to be so honored. Being on a shared title card or in the credits scroll doesn't count. What does that mean? Well, for the cast of A Star Is Born, it means that Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, and Sam Elliott are definitely nominees. But don’t expect to see Gail on stage.
The 25th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards are set to air on Jan. 27, 2019, and will be shown live on TNT and TBS.
This story has been updated.

More from News

R29 Original Series

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT