SAG Awards Honor Black Actors

The awards, seen as a bellwether of the all-important Academy Awards, were being closely watched as they took place amid a controversy over the lack of African-American and minority-ethnic actors nominated for an Oscar this year.

At a time when the upcoming Academy Awards aka the Oscars have rolled out nominations that are so lacking in diversity that the tag #OscarsSoWhite feels appropriate, the Screen Actors Guild Awards have given Hollywood a lot to think about by recognizing and rewarding diversity across the board.

“We made a film about real people and real lives, and to be awarded for that is very special”, Elba said of his best supporting actor win. Thus, his two SAG wins are definitely a huge accomplishment, giving him an appropriate nod of success.

On Saturday night, Hollywood’s glitterati gathered at the 22nd annual Screen Actors’ Guild Awards and what a diverse night it turned out to be.

Idris Elba proudly said, “Welcome to diverse TV”. DiCaprio also won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award for Best Actor.

Solidifying his front-runner status, Leonardo DiCaprio has won the SAG Award for Best Actor for “The Revenant” for his role as a fur trapper bent on revenge.

After losing the Producers Guild Award to The Big Short last week, Spotlight rebounded – and kept the Oscar race interesting – by winning best ensemble, which, since it honors acting, has only matched the Oscar top prize 10 of 20 times. Accepting the cast award, actress Laura Prepon referred to her cast mates, saying: “This is what we talk about when we talk about diversity”. Idris Elba also won big at the 2016 ceremony, taking home two statues for Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries for Luther and Outstanding Male Actor Supporting for Beasts of No Nation.

Other winners included “Downton Abbey”‘s third win for Best Drama Series, Viola Davis’ second for Female Actor in a Drama, and Kevin Spacy’s second win for Male Actor in a Drama for “House of Cards“.

“Moreover, Jeffrey Tambor won best comedy series actor for playing Maura Pfefferman, an ageing wealthy transgender woman in Amazon’s Transparent“. This year, those nominees include Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Revenant”), Brie Larson (“Room“) and Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl“), and their podium remarks could also be an indication of whether or how they might address the diversity turmoil surrounding this year’s awards season.