Sinners triumphed at this year’s Actors Awards, with the vampire horror winning best ensemble and best actor for Michael B Jordan.
The awards show, which has rebranded after formerly being known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards, is seen as a decent bellwether to the Oscars, which take place next month.
While Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another has been widely expected to take best picture at the Academy Awards, following wins at the Directors Guild, the Golden Globes, the Producers Guild and the BAFTAs, this best ensemble nod puts Ryan Coogler’s movie firmly back into contention.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s victory against category favourite Timothee Chalamet will boost his chances of winning the best actor Oscar, with final voting for the Academy Awards still ongoing.
A commercial and critical success, Sinners made history at the start of the year when it received a record 16 Oscar nods.
Jordan received a standing ovation as he took his prize, which was presented by actress Viola Davis.
The 39-year-old called his win for his portrayal of Mississippi twins Smoke and Stack, “pretty cool”, adding: “Everybody that had something to do with this movie, you gave us your time and your talents and vulnerability and allowed me to do my best work.”
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The night’s top prize – the ensemble award – was collected by British-born actor Delroy Lindo, who said: “From the bottom of our hearts to the bottom of your hearts, thank you so much for everything.”
Their win follows upset at this year’s BAFTAS after a racial slur was shouted by Tourette’s sufferer John Davidson as Jordan and Lindo presented the night’s first prize.
Irish star proving unbeatable
Meanwhile, Jessie Buckley won best actress, completing a clean sweep of the major awards shows so far – Critics’ Choice, the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs.
The 36-year-old Irish star has wowed critics and audiences alike for her powerful performance in Hamnet, an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel about the death of Shakespeare’s son, which historians believe inspired the playwright to write Hamlet.
She paid tribute to her Hamnet co-star Emily Watson, praising her “ferocious gentleness,” and calling her “the realest of the real”.
Buckley is the clear favourite to win best actress at the Oscars.
In the supporting categories, One Battle After Another’s Sean Penn, 65, and Weapons star Amy Madigan, 75, triumphed.
A lifetime achievement, and a standing ovation
Harrison Ford was honoured with a lifetime achievement award, presented by Woody Harrelson.
The 83-year-old, who started out as a carpenter before becoming best-known for the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, joked he was receiving the gong at the “mid-point” of his career, adding that it was “very encouraging”.
On the TV side, Catherine O’Hara took a posthumous win for outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series, for her role in showbiz satire The Studio. She was given a standing ovation, as Seth Rogan accepted the award on her behalf.
The Home Alone actress died in January at the age of 71 from a pulmonary embolism, following a cancer diagnosis.
The Studio also won the ensemble in a comedy series award, while Rogen was named best male actor in a comedy series.
Owen Cooper was named best actor in a television movie or limited series for Adolescence, but was not in LA to collect his award.
Among the other TV awards, medical drama The Pitt won for drama series and saw Noah Wyle take outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama, The Diplomat’s Keri Russell took outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama, and Michelle Williams won outstanding performance by a female actor in a TV movie or limited series for her role in comedy Dying for Sex.
The ceremony, presented by the actors’ guild SAG-AFTRA, were streamed live on Netflix.
Oscar voting is now open until 5 March, with the show taking place on 15 March in LA.
