The 2026 Actor Awards: What to Recognize About the Streamlined SAG Awards

The Screen Actors Guild Awards have undergone a rebranding, emerging as the Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA. The 32nd annual ceremony, streaming live on Netflix on Sunday, March 1, promises to honor outstanding performances in film and television. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the event, including how to watch, who’s hosting, and the key contenders.

When and Where to Watch

The 2026 Actor Awards will stream live on Netflix on Sunday, March 1, at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET. Netflix will also broadcast a live red carpet preshow, “The Actor’s Red Carpet,” beginning at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET.

Who is Hosting?

Kristen Bell will return as host for the third time, having previously led the ceremony in 2018 and 2025. TODAY reports that Bell also stars in and produces the Netflix series “Nobody Wants This,” for which she received an Actor Award nomination last year.

Key Nominees and Contenders

The awards are shaping up to be a close race between several critically acclaimed projects.

Film Categories

Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” leads the film nominations with seven, including nods for the cast and individual actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn. Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” is a strong contender, earning five nominations, including recognition for Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku, and Miles Caton.

Timothée Chalamet could make history with a win for his leading role in “Marty Supreme,” potentially becoming the first performer to win consecutive Actor Awards after his 2025 win for “A Complete Unknown.”

Television Categories

Apple TV’s “The Studio” garnered the most nominations in television with five, including Seth Rogen, Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz, and the late Catherine O’Hara. HBO’s “The White Lotus” and Netflix’s “Adolescence” follow closely with four nominations each. Notably, Owen Cooper, at 16 years old, is nominated for “Adolescence” and could become the youngest individual Actor Award winner, surpassing Kate Winslet’s record of 20 years old.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Harrison Ford will be honored with the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award, recognizing his distinguished career. NBC New York notes that recent recipients include Jane Fonda, Barbra Streisand, and Sally Field.

Nominee Highlights

• Performance by a cast in a motion picture: “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another,” “Sinners”
• Performance by a female actor in a leading role: Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”), Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”), Kate Hudson (“Song Sung Blue”), Chase Infiniti (“One Battle After Another”), Emma Stone (“Bugonia”)
• Performance by a male actor in a leading role: Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“One Battle After Another”), Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”), Michael B. Jordan (“Sinners”), Jesse Plemons (“Bugonia”)
• Performance by a female actor in a supporting role: Odessa A’Zion (“Marty Supreme”), Ariana Grande (“Wicked: For Excellent”), Amy Madigan (“Weapons”), Wunmi Mosaku (“Sinners”), Teyana Taylor (“One Battle After Another”)
• Performance by a male actor in a supporting role: Miles Caton (“Sinners”), Benicio del Toro (“One Battle After Another”), Jacob Elordi (“Frankenstein”), Paul Mescal (“Hamnet”), Sean Penn (“One Battle After Another”)
• Performance by an ensemble in a comedy series: “Abbott Elementary,” “The Bear,” “Hacks,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “The Studio”

The Actor Awards promise an evening of celebration and recognition for the industry’s finest talents, all accessible to a global audience through Netflix.