Eddie Redmayne and Cate Blanchett lead SAG Awards nominations

Also boosted with an ensemble nod was the musical drama “Straight Outta Compton“, considered another Oscar long shot.

Ensemble cast nominations included “Beasts of No Nation”, “The Big Short”, “Spotlight”, “Straight Outta Compton” and “Trumbo”.

Trumbo is based on the life of Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo and a group of directors who were shunned for their associations to the Communist Party in the year 1947.

The lead actor nominees were a bit more expected, with recognition for Bryan Cranston (“Trumbo”), Johnny Depp (“Black Mass”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Revenant“), Michael Fassbender (“Steve Jobs”) and Eddie Redmayne (“The Danish Girl”).

Other films receiving two nominations for solo performers include Carol, The Danish Girl, Room and Steve Jobs.

See the full list of nominations over at The Hollywood Reporter. In other words, its worst nightmare came true: its wealth of supporting actor options, led by Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo, may have canceled out each other’s prospects.

Downton Abbey, which has been hugely successful in the United States, was nominated for best drama ensemble, while Dame Maggie Smith was nominated for outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series for her portrayal of the Dowager Countess of Grantham. The hit HBO series and its stellar cast earned a total of three nominations, which might not sound like much, but it actually tied with Homeland and House of Cards for the most nominations in the television category.

Elba picked up a second nomination for his TV work, as the lead in the crime drama “Luther“.

The SAG Awards, along with rival awards show the Golden Globes, are key stepping stones for actors and films hoping to build momentum toward next month’s Oscar nomination ceremony.

Up for supporting actress in a motion picture are Mirren for Trumbo, Rooney Mara (Carol), Rachel McAdams (Spotlight), Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) and Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs).

Unlike the Oscars and Golden Globes, SAG lets film distributors decide the categories in which to place their candidates. The cast of Modern Family, the comedy series in which acts the Colombian star Sofia Vergara, was also nominated. There’s only one (dramatized) true story among them (Woman In Gold), so it’s a lot less likely that anyone will be called out for lack of verisimilitude.

The twenty-second edition of the SAG will be held on January 30th from the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles, California, under the presentation of Anna Faris and Anthony Mackie.