2016 SAG Awards: Spotlight and Leonardo DiCaprio bolster Oscar hopes while Downton Abbey upsets in TV categories

Awards season is starting to heat up, particularly in the cinematic fields, as the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards took place in Hollywood last night.

 

The battle for Best Picture looks set to be a close one after the factual drama Spotlight clinched the coveted Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture accolade.

The film, which focuses on the Boston Globe’s investigation into allegations of child abuse in the Catholic Church, prevailed over fellow Oscar contender The Big Short as well as Beasts of No Nation, Straight Outta Compton and Trumbo.

 

In the acting categories, Leonardo DiCaprio moved a step closer towards clinching his first Oscar after winning the Leading Male Actor accolade for his performance as vengeful explorer Hugh Glass in the fact-based western The Revenant.

Brie Larson also looks set to land a gold statuette later this month after taking home the Leading Female Actor gong for her powerful turn as imprisoned mother Joy “Ma” Newsome in the indie drama Room.

 

Elsewhere, the Supporting Female Actor gong was won by Swedish star Alicia Vikander for her performance as painter Gerda Wegener in the factual drama The Danish Girl, as she overcame the likes of Rooney Mara (Carol) and recent Golden Globe winner Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs).

Meanwhile, there was a shock triumph in the Supporting Male Actor category for British star Idris Elba, as he celebrated the first of two wins on the night for his role as the ruthless Commandant in the Netflix drama Beasts of No Nation.

His victory came in light of the recent “white Oscars” controversy, for which Elba was surprisingly snubbed by the awards organisation earlier in January.

However, his success here does affect fellow nominees Christian Bale (The Big Short) and Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), who now need to win at BAFTA in order to provide stern competition for sentimental favourite Sylvester Stallone (Creed).

 

Finally, the post-apocalyptic action sequel Mad Max: Fury Road eased its way to victory in the Outstanding Stunt Performance category, ahead of the likes of Furious 7 and Jurassic World.

The full list of film winners are…

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
SPOTLIGHT

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Brie Larson, ROOM

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Leonardo DiCaprio, THE REVENANT

 

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Alicia Vikander, THE DANISH GIRL

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Idris Elba, BEASTS OF NO NATION

 

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD


On the television side of things, it was a case of déjà vu for a number of programmes and actors.

For the second year in a row, Netflix’s Orange is the New Black achieved double success by landing two major prizes.

The prison-based dramedy overcame the likes of Modern Family and Veep to win Outstanding Performance in an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, while cast member Uzo Aduba secured her second straight win in the Female Actor (Comedy) field for her reprised role as inmate Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren.

After his recent victory at last month’s Golden Globes, Jeffrey Tambor clinched the Male Actor (Comedy) accolade for his turn as trans woman Maura Pfefferman in Prime Video’s Transparent.

Meanwhile, there was bittersweet joy for ITV’s Downton Abbey, as the hit period drama surprisingly beat Game of Thrones and Mad Men to secure the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series prize for its final run of episodes.

 

Additionally, there were back-to-back successes for Viola Davis and Kevin Spacey, as the pair won the Female Actor (Drama) and Male Actor (Drama) categories.

Davis overcame the likes of Claire Danes (Homeland) and Dame Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey) to prevail for her role as criminal lawyer Annalise Keating in ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder, while Spacey triumphed in a powerhouse line-up for his performance as corrupt president Frank Underwood in Netflix’s House of Cards.

In the miniseries categories, Idris Elba celebrated his second award success on the night after winning Male Actor (Television Movie or Limited Series) for his role as Detective John Luther in the BBC series Luther.

His victory came at the expense of fellow British stars Sir Ben Kingsley (Tut) and Oscar contender Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall).

Meanwhile, Queen Latifah clinched the Female Actor (TV Movie/Limited Series) gong for her portrayal of blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO television film Bessie.

In one of the most predictable wins on the night, HBO’s Game of Thrones scored a FIFTH consecutive Outstanding Stunt Ensemble prize to make amends for its defeat in the main category.

Finally, this year’s Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award was presented to comedy legend Carol Burnett for her contributions to both the big and small screen over the past fifty years with notable roles including The Carol Burnett Show (1967-78), Pete ‘n’ Tillie (1972), A Wedding (1978), The Four Seasons (1981), and Annie (1982).

The full list of television winners are…

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES
DOWNTON ABBEY

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Viola Davis, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kevin Spacey, HOUSE OF CARDS

 

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Uzo Abuda, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jeffrey Tambor, TRANSPARENT

 

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES
Queen Latifah, BESSIE

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES
Idris Elba, LUTHER

 

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

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