'Sinners' takes home top prize at SAG awards

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The vampire thriller "Sinners" took home the top prize of outstanding ensemble cast in a motion picture Sunday evening at the 32nd annual Actor Awards, giving it a major boost heading into the Oscars as it looks to unseat "One Battle After Another" for top honors.

"One Battle After Another" won the Producers Guild of America Award for best motion picture Saturday night, an honor that traditionally signals best-picture success on Oscar night. But the win Sunday at the Actor Awards -- formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards -- gave "Sinners" an big boost in the eyes of voters.

In addition to winning the top prize of best ensemble cast -- the Actor Awards' equivalent of the best picture honor -- "Sinners" also scored a best actor prize for Michael B. Jordan for his dual role portraying twin brothers in the drama.

"Yeah, man, this is pretty cool," Jordan said as he accepted the trophy.

"I wasn't expecting this at all," he said. "I'm so honored and privileged to be nominated in this category with people and actors and humans that I love, and I love their work and I love that they contribute to our craft."

Jessie Buckley continued her path toward Oscar glory by claiming the Actor Award for best actress for her work in "Hamnet." In accepting her award, she heaped praise on co-star Emily Watson.

"The best advice that you always give to me is to always go back to the well of just being human. Ground zero, babe. You're the realest of the real," she said.

Sean Penn also solidified his Oscar credentials by claiming the supporting actor prize for "One Battle After Another," along with Amy Madigan for her supporting actress turn in "Weapons."

The Actor Awards are traditionally a strong indicator of who will win the top acting awards on Oscar night. Madigan also took home a Critics Choice Award earlier this year for her work in "Weapons," but the Golden Globe went to Teyana Taylor for "One Battle After Another."

"One Battle After Another" carried a record seven nominations into the Actor Awards ceremony, which was hosted by Kristen Bell at the Shrine Auditorium. But the film -- which has dominated most awards shows thus far -- wound up with just one prize, for Penn's supporting work.

The previous record for nominations in a single year for a film was five, a feat achieved by six films -- "Shakespeare in Love," "Chicago," "Doubt," "The Banshees of Inisherin," "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "Wicked."

On the small screen, Seth Rogen's freshman comedy "The Studio" scored the top prize of best ensemble in a comedy series, while also delivering the evening's most emotional moment when the late Catherine O'Hara -- who died Jan. 30 at age 71 -- won the award for best actress in a comedy series.

Rogen, who won the award for best actor in a comedy series, accepted the award on her behalf.

Rogen hailed O'Hara's performances in movies such as "Beetlejuice" and "Best In Show," adding, "We were lucky that we got to live in a world where she so generously shared her talents with us."

The hospital drama "The Pitt" repeated its Emmy night success by claiming the prize for best drama ensemble, while star Noah Wyle was named best drama series actor.

Keri Russell was named best actress in a drama series for "The Diplomat."

Harrison Ford, who personified two of cinema's most iconic characters in Han Solo and Indiana Jones, received the 61st SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award during the event to recognize his career and humanitarian work. The award honors a performer who fosters the "finest ideals of the acting profession," according to SAG-AFTRA.

SAG-AFTRA announced in November that the annual awards show's name was being changed to "The Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA." The guild noted that after SAG merged with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union in 2012, becoming SAG-AFTRA, the awards show maintained the name SAG Awards. With the new name, "we're finally able to fully recognize that merger and align it with the name of our statuette, The Actor," according to the guild.

Here is a complete list of winners:

Film categories

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

• "Sinners"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

• Michael B. Jordan, "Sinners"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

• Jessie Buckley, "Hamnet"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

• Sean Penn, "One Battle After Another"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

• Amy Madigan, "Weapons"

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

• "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning"

TV categories

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

• "The Studio"

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

• "The Pitt"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

• Seth Rogen, "The Studio"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

• Catherine O'Hara, "The Studio"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

• Noah Wyle, "The Pitt"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

• Keri Russell, "The Diplomat"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

• Owen Cooper, "Adolescence"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

• Michelle Williams, "Dying for Sex"

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series

• "The Last of Us"

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