What Sets the SAG Awards Apart From the Rest

There's nothing quite like being recognized by your peers. Winning an Oscar , Emmy or a Golden Globe comes with an undeniable amount of prestige. Meanwhile, box office returns and ratings give stars a window into how the public feels about their art.

But to have the people who know the craft best—former co-stars, audition competition, time slot rivals and longtime industry pals—deem your performance the best in your field is an unparalleled sense of validation. Enter the Screen Actors Guild Awards . This year's nominations will be announced by Joey King and Cooper Koch on Jan.



8, and the winners will be revealed during the Feb. 23 ceremony, which will stream live on Netflix . One of the younger award shows on the block, the SAG Awards were established 30 years ago by what was then known as the Screen Actors Guild, the union formed in 1933 to represent film and television principal and background performers worldwide.

(In 2012, SAG merged with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to become SAG-AFTRA.) And at the onset of the first ceremony in 1995, the legendary Angela Lansbury took the stage to emphasize why the night mattered. "Tonight is dedicated to the art and craft of acting by the people who should know about it: actors," she told the crowd of nominees and presenters gathered at Universal Studios' Stage 12.

"And remember, you're one too!" In the ensuing three decades since that first ceremony, the location of the event (this year's festivities will take place at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall) and the overall scale may have changed, but that initial edict has always remained the same.

A simple event (2018's host, Kristen Bell , marked the ceremony's first- ever emcee, and she's returning to fulfill the duties this year) that traditionally eschews many of the distracting sideshows that bloat the run times of other award shows , the SAG Awards have never forgotten that this night is about actors celebrating actors. Period. Between the night's signature opening montage of "Actors Stories," the yearly presentation of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award (this year's honoree: Jane Fonda ), and awarding of the coveted Actor statuettes in 13 categories (15 if counting the two stunt ensemble honors announced before the show) that celebrate individual performances as well as the entire ensemble of one drama series, one comedy series, and one motion picture, the focus is squarely on the actor.

(We know, we know, like they don't get enough attention.) And it's that for us, by us ethos that makes this the one award show where the sappy old "It's just an honor to be nominated" saying just might actually be true. Before the nominees for the 2025 SAG Awards are announced, look back at which stars took home The Actor trophy last year.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso Bill Hader, Barry Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso WINNER: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary WINNER: Ayo Edebiri, The Bear Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series Uzo Aduba, Painkiller Kathryn Hahn, Tiny Beautiful Things Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry Bel Powley, A Small Light WINNER: Ali Wong, Beef Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers Jon Hamm, Fargo David Oyelowo, Lawmen: Bass Reeves Tony Shalhoub, Mr.

Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie WINNER: Steven Yeun, Beef Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction Willem Dafoe, Poor Things Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon WINNER: Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer Ryan Gosling, Barbie Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple Penélope Cruz, Ferrari Jodie Foster, Nyad WINNER: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Bradley Cooper, Maestro Colman Domingo, Rustin Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers WINNER: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Annette Bening, Nyad WINNER: Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon Carey Mulligan, Maestro Margot Robbie, Barbie Emma Stone, Poor Things Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Brian Cox, Succession Billy Crudup, The Morning Show Kieran Culkin, Succession Matthew MacFadyen, Succession WINNER: Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show WINNER: Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us Keri Russell, The Diplomat Sarah Snook, Succession Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series The Crown The Gilded Age The Last of Us The Morning Show WINNER: Succession Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Abbott Elementary Barry WINNER: The Bear Only Murders in the Building Ted Lasso Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture American Fiction Barbie The Color Purple Killers of the Flower Moon WINNER: Oppenheimer ( This story was originally published on Thursday, Jan.

18, 2018, at 3 a.m. PT.

).