Nominees for the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, giving Oscar trackers a clearer picture of the ongoing race as it continues to gel.
As the L.A. Times notes, the annual SAG Awards can be "the most reliable early predictors of the Oscars," primarily because the Academy’s acting branch tends to be the largest voting group – so their collective preferences can point to a notable direction in the Oscar race. This year, SAG seems to have put its weight behind 12 Years a Slave and August: Osage County, which earned multiple nominations including the key category of Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (the SAG equivalent of Best Picture).
SAG isn’t always right. Last year, the group accurately predicted that Ben Affleck’s Argo would have a big night at the Oscars. But the year prior, SAG went with The Help over the eventual Best Picture Oscar winner, The Artist.
How will history shape this race? We’re starting to see the final pieces snap into place. The major regional critics’ groups continue to recognize the best of 2013. The Broadcast Film Critics Association will reveal its nominees for the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards on Monday, Dec. 16. And tomorrow, Dec. 12, we’ll have a full slate of Golden Globes nominees to analyze … and likely criticize.
Until then, here’s the complete list of film nominees for the 2014 SAG Awards, which will be aired on TNT and TBS on Saturday, Jan. 18. What did they get right? Where did they go wrong?
Movie Awards
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
August: Osage County
Dallas Buyer's Club
The Butler
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Daniel Bruhl, Rush
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
James Gandolfini, Enough Said
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyer's Club
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyer's Club
Forest Whitaker, The Butler
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyongo, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska
Oprah Winfrey, The Butler
