‘Wicked’ Leads Nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards; Jolie and Kidman Overlooked

The hit musical ‘Wicked’ has made headlines by leading the nominations for the prestigious Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. This event is closely watched because it often reflects potential winners for the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars.

The film ‘Wicked’, which is a big-screen adaptation of the beloved Broadway show, received five nominations in total. These nominations include the coveted award for ‘outstanding performance by a cast’, as well as nods for lead actress, supporting actor, and actress, in addition to the stunt ensemble category.

Another significant contender, Bob Dylan's biopic titled ‘A Complete Unknown’, secured four nominations. Meanwhile, ‘Emilia Perez’, a unique and surreal narco-musical, received three nods and was a major winner at the recent Golden Globe Awards.

These three films, along with the Cannes favorite ‘Anora’, which also received three nominations, will compete for the top cast award. Additionally, the papal thriller ‘Conclave’ was also nominated.

In contrast, ‘The Brutalist’, which tells the story of a Hungarian architect who survived the Holocaust and relocated to the United States, only managed to get one nomination for its lead actor, Adrien Brody, who has already won a Golden Globe for his performance.

The SAG Awards nominations hold significant weight as the winners are determined by Hollywood actors, who make up the largest voting group within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—the organization that votes for the Oscars.

Angelina Jolie, who played the role of opera diva Maria Callas in ‘Maria’, received no nominations, which may cast doubt on her chances for an Oscar nod this year. In the lead actress category, Jolie’s competition includes Cynthia Erivo from ‘Wicked’, as well as Globes winner Demi Moore for ‘The Substance’, alongside Pamela Anderson, Karla Sofia Gascon, and Mikey Madison.

Also notably absent from nominations is Nicole Kidman, who received critical praise for her role in the film ‘Babygirl’. Globes winner Fernanda Torres, known for her work in ‘I’m Still Here’ about Brazil's military dictatorship, also missed out.

Brody will face tough competition for the lead actor award against actors like Ralph Fiennes in ‘Conclave’, Timothee Chalamet, who stars in ‘A Complete Unknown’, Daniel Craig in ‘Queer’, and Colman Domingo from ‘Sing Sing’.

Although ‘Wicked’ had a disappointing night at the Golden Globes, where it won only for cinematic and box office achievement, its resurgence with SAG nominations has fans excited as Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey also received individual nods.

The SAG Awards highlight both film and television. Leading in television nominations is the historical drama ‘Shogun’, which has already received accolades at the Emmys and Golden Globes, boasting five nominations this time.

The SAG Awards ceremony is set to take place on February 23 in Los Angeles and will be streamed live on Netflix for the second year in a row. The announcement of the nominations was initially going to be an in-person event, but was canceled due to severe wildfires affecting the Los Angeles area. In light of these circumstances, the Critics Choice Awards scheduled for Sunday have also been postponed.

In related news, the Directors Guild of America announced its nominations on the same day. Notable mentions include Sean Baker for ‘Anora’, Jacques Audiard for ‘Emilia Perez’, Edward Berger for ‘Conclave’, Brady Corbet for ‘The Brutalist’, and James Mangold for ‘A Complete Unknown’. Meanwhile, Jon Chu was overlooked for his direction in ‘Wicked’.

The Directors Guild Awards are set to be held on February 10.

Wicked, SAG, Awards