Following the fallout from this week’s Academy Award nominations, the Screen Actors Guild have added to the hectic schedule of awards season as the biggest names in film and television came together for last night’s ceremony.

On the cinematic front, the crime comedy American Hustle bolstered its hopes of Oscar success by clinching the prestigious Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture accolade ahead of the likes of Best Picture frontrunner 12 Years a Slave, August: Osage County and The Butler.

After bagging a Golden Globe last Sunday, Matthew McConaughey strengthened his unlikely bid for a golden statuette by taking home Leading Male Actor for his acclaimed portrayal as AIDS-suffering electrician Ron Woodroof in the fact-based drama Dallas Buyers Club.

On his win, McConaughey said:

“It really shines a great light on this bull ride we call acting.

I’ve been able to recently find some characters that I can humble myself to their humanities and get feverishly drunk on their obsessions.”

Co-star Jared Leto also doubled up on his recent success at the Globes by winning Supporting Male Actor for his performance as trans woman Raymond Rayon.

Meanwhile, Cate Blanchett stormed her way to another Leading Female Actor gong for her performance as fragile socialite Jeanette “Jasmine” Francis in the Woody Allen drama Blue Jasmine.

Despite coming into last night’s ceremony with the most SAG nominations, the historical drama 12 Years a Slave could only manage one win for Lupita Nyong’o as the Kenyan starlet saw off Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle) to clinch Supporting Female Actor for her role as cotton picker Patsey.

During her acceptance speech, Nyongo’o thanked British filmmaker Steve McQueen “for taking a flashlight and shining it underneath the floorboards of this nation and reminding us what it is we stand on”.

Elsewhere, the fact-based war thriller Lone Survivor overcame the likes of Rush and The Wolverine to persevere in the Outstanding Stunt Ensemble category.

Finally, Oscar and Emmy-winning actress Rita Moreno was the recipient of this year’s Life Achievement Award for her work in the likes of West Side Story (1961), The Electric Company (1971-77), The Ritz (1976), The Four Seasons (1981) and Oz (1997-2003).

The star thanked the guild for honouring her “early in the third act of my life” before serenading the audience with a few lines from the song “This Is All I Ask”.

The full list of SAG (film) winners are…

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
AMERICAN HUSTLE

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Cate Blanchett, BLUE JASMINE

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Matthew McConaughey, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 YEARS A SLAVE

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Jared Leto, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
LONE SURVIVOR

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On the television side of things, AMC’s Breaking Bad followed up its recent Golden Globe triumph with two more deserved accolades to cap off a tremendous run throughout awards season.

The final series of the crime thriller won the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series accolade ahead of Boardwalk Empire, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones and Homeland.

Additionally, leading man Bryan Cranston overcame strong competition from the likes of Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) and Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) to win another Male Actor (Drama) gong for his swansong turn as doomed drug dealer Walter White.

Looking out at his former cast-mates, Cranston remarked:

“We have the nicest bunch of white supremacist Nazis I have ever worked with.

I swear to you I would kill you all over again.”

However, co-star Anna Gunn missed out on the Female Actor (Drama) award, which surprisingly went to absent British veteran Dame Maggie Smith for her sharp-tongued role as Violet Crawley in ITV’s Downton Abbey.

Elsewhere, ABC’s Modern Family secured two key wins, including a FOURTH consecutive Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series prize ahead of the likes of Veep and the final series of 30 Rock.

The family sitcom also clinched an acting gong for Ty Burrell as he took home the Male Actor (Comedy) award for his popular turn as dopey patriarch Phil Dunphy.

In his speech, Burrell outlined his steps for becoming a successful actor:

“Be born into a family that never had an actor in it; Use that false sense of confidence to woo and attract a spouse who’s better than you; Have no skill other than being a needy extrovert; Use that lack of skill to stumble into a job.”

After losing out on a Golden Globe last week, Julia Louis-Dreyfus was in a celebratory mood after bagging the Female Actor (Comedy) gong for her lauded role as vice presidential candidate Selina Meyer in HBO’s Veep.

Meanwhile, British veteran Dame Helen Mirren overcame fellow Brit Helena Bonham Carter (Burton & Taylor) to clinch the Female Actor (Television Movie or Miniseries) award for her portrayal of criminal lawyer Linda Kenney Baden in the HBO television film Phil Spector.

However, Mirren’s co-star Al Pacino missed out on victory in the Male Actor (TV Movie/Miniseries) category, as Michael Douglas picked up yet another accolade for his performance as renowned pianist Liberace in the fact-based HBO film Behind the Candelabra.

Despite an acclaimed third series, HBO’s fantasy epic Game of Thrones had to settle for a repeat win in the Outstanding Stunt Ensemble category.

The full list of SAG (television) winners are…

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES
BREAKING BAD

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Maggie Smith, DOWNTON ABBEY

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Bryan Cranston, BREAKING BAD

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
MODERN FAMILY

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, VEEP

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ty Burrell, MODERN FAMILY

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Helen Mirren, PHIL SPECTOR

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Michael Douglas, BEHIND THE CANDELABRA

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES
GAME OF THRONES