Awards season has come around quickly again for those competing for success in the film and television industry, as the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG) announced their nominations for this year.

Starting with the film categories, the race for Oscar has started to heat up with Alejandro González Iñárritu’s dark comedy Birdman leading the way with four nominations including Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Former Beetlejuice and Batman star Michael Keaton is up for Leading Male Actor and is joined by his co-stars Edward Norton in Supporting Male Actor and Emma Stone in Supporting Female Actor.

Competing with Birdman in the Motion Picture line-up are the epic family drama Boyhood (which has dominated awards season so far), the war comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel and British biopics The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything.

 

Keaton faces stern competition in his category from Brit actors Benedict Cumberbatch (Imitation Game) and Eddie Redmayne (Theory of Everything) while Steve Carell (Foxcatcher) and Jake Gyllenhaal Nightcrawler) are both nodded for their dark performances.

The British continue their dominance in the Leading Female Actor group with Felicity Jones (Theory of Everything) and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) up against Julianne Moore (Still Alice), Reese Witherspoon (Wild) and surprise nominee Jennifer Aniston (Cake).

In Supporting Male Actor, Norton faces a tough challenge in overcoming early favourite J.K Simmons (Whiplash) with the line-up completed by Robert Duvall (The Judge), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood) and Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher).

Finally, the Supporting Female Actor category sees Stone up against English rose Keira Knightley (Imitation Game) as well as Patricia Arquette (Boyhood), Meryl Streep (Into the Woods) and shock nominee Naomi Watts (St Vincent).

Several high profile names failed to make the cut including David Oyelowo, Bradley Cooper, Marion Cotillard and Jessica Chastain.

The Oscar race is set to get more heated tomorrow when the Golden Globes announce their contenders.

The full list of SAG nominations are below (winner predictions in blue):

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
BIRDMAN
BOYHOOD
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
THE IMITATION GAME
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Jennifer Aniston, CAKE
Felicity Jones, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Julianne Moore, STILL ALICE
Rosamund Pike, GONE GIRL
Reese Witherspoon, WILD

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Steve Carell, FOXCATCHER
Benedict Cumberbatch, THE IMITATION GAME
Jake Gyllenhaal, NIGHTCRAWLER
Michael Keaton, BIRDMAN
Eddie Redmayne, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

 

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Patricia Arquette, BOYHOOD
Keira Knightley, THE IMITATION GAME
Emma Stone, BIRDMAN
Meryl Streep, INTO THE WOODS
Naomi Watts, ST. VINCENT

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Robert Duvall, THE JUDGE
Ethan Hawke, BOYHOOD
Edward Norton, BIRDMAN
Mark Ruffalo, FOXCATCHER
J. K. Simmons, WHIPLASH

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
FURY
GET ON UP
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES
UNBROKEN
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

 

Firstly, in the comedy categories, Modern Family received a favourable four mentions including Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series as well as acting nods for Ty Burrell, Eric Stonestreet and Julie Bowen.

The much-loved series is competing in its chief category with other lauded shows like The Big Bang Theory, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Orange is the New Black and Veep.

Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Louis C.K (Louie), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) and Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) are other eye-catching nominees up for the lead awards.

On the drama side, HBO’s Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire go head-to-head in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series category along with Downton Abbey, Homeland and House of Cards.

True Detective duo Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson go up against Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) and Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) in a strong Male Actor (drama) line-up.

Six women are battling it out for Female Actor (Drama), with Homeland’s Claire Danes and Downton Abbey’s Dame Maggie Smith up against the likes of Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder), Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) and Robin Wright (House of Cards).

Finally, the limited series nominees include mentions in both film and TV categories for Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock: The Last Vow) and Mark Ruffalo (The Normal Heart). The latter’s co-star Julia Roberts is also recognised in Female Actor (TV Movie or Mini-Series).

Billy Bob Thornton (Fargo), Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Honourable Woman) and Frances McDormand (Olive Kitteridge) are amongst the other strong group of performers in contention for awards glory.

The full list of television nominees are below (winner predictions in yellow):

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
DOWNTON ABBEY
GAME OF THRONES
HOMELAND
HOUSE OF CARDS

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Claire Danes, HOMELAND
Viola Davis, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
Julianna Margulies, THE GOOD WIFE
Tatiana Maslany, ORPHAN BLACK
Maggie Smith, DOWNTON ABBEY
Robin Wright, HOUSE OF CARDS

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Steve Buscemi, BOARDWALK EMPIRE
Peter Dinklage, GAME OF THRONES
Woody Harrelson, TRUE DETECTIVE
Matthew McConaughey, TRUE DETECTIVE
Kevin Spacey, HOUSE OF CARDS

 

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
THE BIG BANG THEORY
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
MODERN FAMILY
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
VEEP

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Uzo Aduba, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
Julie Bowen, MODERN FAMILY
Edie Falco, NURSE JACKIE
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, VEEP
Amy Poehler, PARKS AND RECREATION

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ty Burrell, MODERN FAMILY
Louis C. K., LOUIE
William H. Macy, SHAMELESS
Jim Parsons, THE BIG BANG THEORY
Eric Stonestreet, MODERN FAMILY

 

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
Ellen Burstyn, FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC
Maggie Gyllenhaal, THE HONOURABLE WOMAN
Frances McDormand, OLIVE KITTERIDGE
Julia Roberts, THE NORMAL HEART
Cicely Tyson, THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL

 

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
Adrien Brody, HOUDINI
Benedict Cumberbatch, SHERLOCK: HIS LAST VOW
Richard Jenkins, OLIVE KITTERIDGE
Mark Ruffalo, THE NORMAL HEART
Billy Bob Thornton, FARGO

 

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
GAME OF THRONES
HOMELAND
SONS OF ANARCHY
24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY
THE WALKING DEAD

The film and television category winners will be announced at the SAG ceremony on 25 January 2014.