‘A Star Is Born’ and ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Top Nominees for 25th Annual SAG Awards

Sandra Miska

The awards season is officially in full swing, and Hollywood’s largest above-the-line union, SAG-AFTRA, has spoken. The SAG Awards, the only ceremony in which actors are exclusively honored by other actors, is to take place Jan. 27 in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live simultaneously on TNT and TBS.

The SAG Awards are considered by many to be a precursor to the Oscars, even more so than the Golden Globes, which are awarded by a relatively small pool of voters. This bodes well for “A Star Is Born,” as the musical drama leads the film pack with four nominations, including one each for actors Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga and Sam Elliott, as well as Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. In the later category, they will have competition from another drama that mixes music with heartache, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” as well as three films that made waves this year by proving the power of diversity, “Black Panther,” “BlacKkKlansman” and “Crazy Rich Asians.” Although “The Favourite” isn’t up for the top award, it tied with “BlacKkKlansman” for the second most film nominations, three.

As for the television nominations, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and “Ozark” eached earned four a piece, while “Barry,” “GLOW,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and “The Kominsky Method,” scored three each. “Mrs. Maisel” seems to be the shoo-in for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, as last year’s winner, “Veep,” is out of competition this year. And while “Ozark” may appear to be the front runner for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, last year’s winner, fan favorite “This Is Us,” certainly shouldn’t be discounted.

Two performers have the distinction of being double nominated this year, both women. Emily Blunt displayed her versatility in 2018, as she is nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for “Mary Poppins Returns,” as well as for her supporting role in a very different film, “A Quiet Place.” Emma Stone, meanwhile, is the only actor to be recognized by SAG for both her work in film and television this year, as she earned nods for her performances in both the feature“The Favourite” and the limited series “Maniac.”

Alan Alda is set to receive the highest tribute of the year, the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award. Alda is to be honored not only for his acting career, highlights of which are roles on classic series such “M*A*S*H” and “The West Wing,” but also for his humanitarian work.

The 25th Annual SAG Awards will take place Jan. 27 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live simultaneously on TNT and TBS at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.