Sag Awards 2026: Sinners, The Studio and The Pitt Dominate Night of Surprises and Tributes

The sag awards 2026 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 1 produced major wins, emotional tributes and after-party celebrations that stretched late into the night. Hosted by Kristen Bell, the ceremony — with awards voted on by fellow SAG-AFTRA union members — highlighted victories for Sinners, The Studio and The Pitt and included a high-profile lifetime honor.

Sag Awards 2026: Big Winners and What They Took Home

Sinners, a vampire movie set in the segregated South, captured the top prize for best ensemble in a motion picture while Michael B. Jordan was named best lead actor for his performance as bootlegging twins. The Studio led television with three wins, including best ensemble in a comedy series, and The Pitt earned two awards including best ensemble in a drama series.

Film Winners: Sinners, Supporting Honors and Notable Nominees

Sinners’ sweep included both ensemble recognition and a lead actor trophy for Michael B. Jordan. Jessie Buckley won best lead actress for portraying a grief-stricken mother in Hamnet. Supporting acting prizes went to two villainous turns: Sean Penn won for playing a demented soldier in One Battle After Another, and Amy Madigan earned Female Actor in a Supporting Role for Weapons.

Madigan’s Supporting Role win came from a competitive field that included Odessa A’zion for Marty Supreme, Ariana Grande for Wicked: For Good, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners, and Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another. Sean Penn’s victory saw him prevail over Miles Caton for Sinners, Benicio Del Toro (his One Battle After Another costar), Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein, and Paul Mescal for Hamnet.

TV Standouts: The Studio, The Pitt, Posthumous Wins and Surprise Trophies

The Studio’s multiple wins included a lead actor in a comedy series prize for co-creator Seth Rogen, who was honored for playing a hapless movie chief. Catherine O'Hara, who died in January at age 71, earned a posthumous lead actress award for The Studio; Seth Rogen accepted the prize and reflected on O'Hara’s generosity and exacting contributions to the show.

Keri Russell won best lead actress in a drama series for The Diplomat, defeating Rhea Seehorn of Pluribus. Noah Wyle added a lead actor in a drama series statuette for his work on The Pitt, joining previous honors such as an Emmy and a Golden Globe for that role. Michelle Williams won best actress in a limited series for portraying a woman with terminal cancer in Dying for Sex, and Owen Cooper, the 16-year-old star of Adolescence, took best actor in a limited series over co-star Stephen Graham.

Lifetime Achievement, Historical Notes and Awards Context

Harrison Ford received the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award, the union’s highest tribute given annually to an actor who fosters the finest ideals of the acting profession. With more than six decades in the spotlight, Ford acknowledged the honor with self-effacing remarks, saying he felt grateful and humbled to be in a room of actors while noting, with a wink about the timing, that it felt “a little weird to be getting a Lifetime Achievement Award at the half point of my career. ” The 83-year-old made light of the milestone during his speech.

Ryan Coogler, director of Sinners, made history as the first director to helm two best ensemble winners in the ceremony’s history, having previously won the top prize with Black Panther. The prizes, formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards until a name change last November, are handed out by the labor union SAG-AFTRA and recognize performances on both big and small screens. The Actor Awards are viewed as an important precursor to the Oscars on March 15. Sinners entered the night with a record-breaking 16 nominations and was widely discussed as being in a tight race with One Battle After Another, which had earlier won big at both the Directors Guild Awards and the Producers Guild Awards.

Red Carpet, After-Party and Memorable Moments

Red carpet highlights included standout looks from Kate Hudson and Damson Idris, who wore Valentino and Prada respectively; Hudson later swapped a cream gown for a sleek silver outfit for the after-party. The post-show festivities were hosted by a major streaming company at Milk Studios in Los Angeles, where cast members and winners continued celebrations. The cast of The Diplomat celebrated her win, and Keri Russell’s onscreen and offscreen love interests posed together during the evening’s celebrations.

While some categories followed expected season patterns, others delivered surprises, and the night combined awards, personal tributes and fashion moments that extended well beyond the Shrine Auditorium stage.