There have been a flood of best-of-year accolades lately, of course, but here’s one that finally pays tribute to the oft-unsung hero of the motion picture industry: the actor. The annual Screen Actors Guild nominations were announced this morning, recognizing 2010’s outstanding performers without having to muck it up by also making cursory nods at the remora directors and screenwriters clinging to their underbellies.
The other most noticeable difference between the SAG Awards and everything else we’ve seen so far: They actually enjoyed (or just caught before the deadline) True Grit, which means the season’s first nominations for Jeff Bridges and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. Other change-ups were the inclusion of Robert Duvall and Hilary Swank, both of whom apparently edged out critic favorites Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams of Blue Valentine—a film that, like Inception, ended up being completely shut out—and finally, some recognition for John Hawkes’ awesome performance in Winter’s Bone. As for the TV categories, well, SAG obviously really likes Hot In Cleveland, so much so that it nominated it for Best Comedy alongside usual suspects such as 30 Rock and Glee and the huge, gaping hole where Community should be, and they also gave Betty White a Best Actress nomination.
Otherwise it’s pretty similar to the Golden Globes. Oh, and the January 30 ceremony will also see a Lifetime Achievement Award handed out to Ernest Borgnine, which is nice. (How did he achieve so much in his lifetime, anyway?) Here’s the full list of nominees:
Best Ensemble In A Motion Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network
Best Actress In A Leading Role
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
Hilary Swank, Conviction
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Actor In A Leading Role
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Robert Duvall, Get Low
Best Actress In A Supporting Role
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech
Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit