The papal thriller “Conclave” captured the glamour award for best Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at Sunday evening’s 31st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards — while “Shogun,” the FX drama set in 17th century Japan, won four trophies out of its leading five nominations, including Ensemble in a Drama Series, to dominate the television categories.
The SAG Awards — the final undercard event of the Hollywood awards season before next week’s Academy Awards, and a historically strong predictor of success on Oscar night — also delivered “Actor” trophies to Timothée Chalamet for Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture for his turn in the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” and to Demi Moore for Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture for her star turn in the often startling horror-drama “The Substance.”
The award for cast performance is the SAG Awards’ equivalent of the Oscars’ best picture.
“Shogun,” besides winning for TV drama ensemble, also brought wins to Hiroyuki Sanada for Male Actor in a Drama Series; Anna Sawai for Female Actor in a Drama Series; and Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series.
“Only Murders in the Building,” long a bridesmaid during awards shows, took the award for Ensemble in a Comedy Series, while one of its co-stars, Martin Short, won for Male Actor in a Comedy Series — making “Only Murders …” the only other multiple winner of the night.
The motion picture “Wicked,” an adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the Wicked Witch of the West from “The Wizard of Oz,” brought a leading five movie nominations into the evening but was shut out.
Kristen Bell, herself a nominee Sunday (she lost out to Jean Smart of “Hacks” for Female Actor in a Comedy Series) hosted the ceremonies, which were held at the Shrine Auditorium and were streamed live on Netflix.
Jane Fonda, 87, received the SAG Life Achievement Award and drew a lengthy standing ovation. She noted that “I’m not done,” and quipped “probably in my 90s I’ll be doing my own stunts in an action movie.”
But then she turned serious in commenting on the current U.S. political situation, urging activism and saying, “A whole lot of people are going to be really hurt by what is happening, what is coming our way.”
“Even if they’re of a different political persuasion, we need to call upon our empathy and not judge, but listen from our hearts and welcome them into our tent, because we are going to need a big tent to resist, successfully, what’s coming at us,” said the longtime activist.
“Conclave,” which details the intrigue of papal succession and amid the secret machinations of the Vatican, was a surprise winner in the best cast category — besting “Wicked”; “A Complete Unknown”; “Anora,” a comedy-drama about a sex worker who marries a Russian oligarch; and “Emila Pérez,” a gender-bending crime musical about a drug cartel leader who hires a lawyer to help fake her death so she can transition to a woman.
The SAGs are considered the most cherished Hollywood honors among performers because they are voted upon exclusively by other actors.
In all, 15 regular awards were given out Sunday night — six in movie categories and nine in television — along with Fonda’s Life Achievement Award.
Here is the complete list of winners:
MOTION PICTURES
Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
— “Conclave”
Male Actor in a Leading Role
— Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”
Female Actor in a Leading Role
— Demi Moore, “The Substance”
Male Actor in a Supporting Role
— Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”
Female Actor in a Supporting Role
— Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”
Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
— “The Fall Guy”
TELEVISION
Ensemble in a Drama Series
— “Shogun”
Ensemble in a Comedy Series
— “Only Murders in the Building”
Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
— Colin Farrell, “The Penguin”
Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
— Jessica Gunning, “Baby Reindeer”
Male Actor in a Drama Series
— Hiroyuki Sanada, “Shogun”
Female Actor in a Drama Series
— Anna Sawai, “Shogun”
Male Actor in a Comedy Series
— Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”
Female Actor in a Comedy Series
— Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
— “Shogun”