‘Modern Family’ and ‘Birdman’ Lead SAG Awards Nominees

The nominees for the SAG Awards have been announced, and “Birdman” and “Modern Family” lead the pack with four nominees each. It’s easy to see who are the ones to beat when the ceremony takes place Jan. 25, 2015.

“Birdman” is Michael Keaton’s critically acclaimed film that has been talked about way before its release and it has rightfully earned its four SAG nods. Keaton is up for Lead Actor, Edward Norton for Supporting Actor, Emma Stone for Supporting Actress and everyone for Best Ensemble Cast.

Only time will tell if the story of a down on his luck actor in “Birdman” will take home any of its four, but there is stiff competition in each category. Keaton may be beat out by Eddie Redmayne’s accurate portrayal of genius Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything” or Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher.” The former “Office” star has been getting a lot of praise for dropping the comical act and getting serious in that film. It could even lead him to his first Oscar nomination as well. It looks like Norton’s biggest competition would be Ethan Hawke in “Boyhood,” just because of how impressive that movie was in the way it was shot. Moreover, while everyone loves Stone, she’s up against “Into the Woods’” Meryl Streep, so it’s not safe to assume the young actress will walk away a winner. However, seeing that “Birdman” owns most of the nominees in the acting categories, they have the biggest chance to walk away with that Ensemble statue.

On the television front, it is no surprise that ABC’s “Modern Family” leads with four nominations: Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet for Male Actor, Julie Bowen for Actress and the cast for Best Ensemble. The comedy has been a big award grabber since it debuted in 2009. The show has won the Ensemble award four times in a row, but could lose this year to “The Big Bang Theory” or “Orange is the New Black.”

The show owns as a cast but individually only Burrell has walked away a winner. This year he’ll either score his second win since 2013 or his co-star Eric Stonestreet will take it from him. Worse case scenario they both lose out Jim Parsons, who evidently has never won a SAG but has numerous Emmys. On the actress front, Bowen is a frontrunner but has stiff competition from “Veep’s” Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Uzo Aduba from “Orange is the New Black.”

In the drama department of television freshman show “How to Get Away with Murder’s” Viola Davis will battle it out against veteran nominees Claire Danes, Robin Wright and Maggie Smith. “Boardwalk Empire” Fans are hoping Steve Buscemi wins for his last run as Nucky Thompson and surprisingly “Mad Men” was out of the Ensemble but in are “Homeland,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Downton Abbey,” “Game of Thrones” and “House of Cards.” With all the buzz, HBO may walk home with the win with two of their shows leading that batch.

The SAG Awards will be simulcast on TBS and TNT on Jan. 25, 2015.