What sets the SAG Awards apart from other shows is that it’s strictly voted on by the members of SAG-AFTRA, so sometimes you’ll see performances that haven’t been on other lists get recognized. And usually, they add an interesting twist in awards season.
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On Wednesday, “Insecure” star Issa Rae announced the nominees for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards alongside Kumail Nanjiani. While we saw honors for “American Fiction,” Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Colman Domingo, there were are also some fun surprises for Audra McDonald, Uzo Aduba and Rae.
Golden Globe winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph continued her awards run with a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for “The Holdovers.” She is joined in the category by Danielle Brooks for her spectacular work as Sofia in “The Color Purple.”
In addition to a leading actor nom for Jeffrey Wright and a supporting actor nod for Sterling K. Brown, “American Fiction” was also recognized for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. This led to a special moment for Issa when she found out she received two nominations back to back for her work in “Barbie” and “American Fiction.” Her competition is tough as “The Color Purple,” “Oppenheimer” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” are also up for Outstanding Cast.
Over on the TV side, Quinta Brunson and “Abbott Elementary” are back in the running, along with “The Bear” breakout Ayo Edebiri. However, we also got some really cool surprises.
Uzo Aduba is nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for Netflix’s “Painkiller.” It’s always exciting to see Uzo get her flowers, because she really doesn’t get enough recognition for her talent and range. Honestly, there should be more discussion about how amazing she is in every single genre.
And speaking of actresses who are awesome at everything, Audra McDonald got a nod for “The Gilded Age,” as the show was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. If we’re being honest, “Succession” is probably going to win this one, but if someone sneaks in as a surprise it will likely be Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey for “The Last of Us.”
Black stars from “Ted Lasso,” “The Bear” and “Only Murders in the Building” also received noms as part of their ensembles.
As fun as it is to see all these surprises, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the one glaring omission. How has Dominique Fishback not received more nominations for her unforgettable performance in “Swarm?” Did we watch a different series than the rest of the world, because she was flat out brilliant. #JusticeforDom!
The 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards stream live at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) Saturday, Feb. 24 on Netflix.
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