The Screen Actors Guild Awards were not so white.
While the Academy Awards remain enveloped in a crisis over the diversity of its nominees, the 22nd annual SAG Awards on Saturday presented a stark antidote to the rancor that has overwhelmed Hollywood’s awards season. Awards were handed out to Queen Latifah, Uzo Aduba, Viola Davis and Idris Elba, as the actors guild cast a loud vote in favor of diversity.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to diverse TV,” said Elba in his third trip on stage as a presenter. His first two were to accept awards for his supporting performance in the Netflix child soldier drama “Beasts of No Nation” and for his lead performance in the BBC miniseries “Luther.”
The night’s top honor, best ensemble in a film, went to the newspaper drama “Spotlight.”
Mark Ruffalo, one of the film’s stars, praised writer-director Tom McCarthy and co-writer Josh Singer for their purposeful accuracy in penning the journalistic procedural about the Boston Globe’s reporting on sexual abuse by Catholic priests.
Laura Prepon accepted the most outstanding ensemble award, comedy series, for “Orange Is the New Black.”
Individual actor SAG winners the last three years have exactly corresponded with eventual Oscar winners, which meant that SAG winners Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Revenant”), Brie Larson (“Room”) and Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl”) all appear to have cemented their status as favorites. Each won, as expected.
Latifah accepted the award for most outstanding female performance in a TV movie or miniseries for HBO’s Bessie Smith tale “Bessie.”
Aduba, accepting her second straight SAG Award for best actress in a comedy in “Orange Is the New Black,” praised creator Jenji Kohan for making “a show that reflects and represents so many people.”
For the third time, “Downton Abbey” won best ensemble in a drama series.
Best actor in a TV comedy went to Jeffery Tambor for the acclaimed Amazon series “Transparent.” Kevin Spacey won his second SAG Award for “House of Cards.”
Comedian Carol Burnett accepted the SAG lifetime achievement award from presenters Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Recalling the uphill battle she faced, Burnett remembered being warned that “comedy variety is a man’s game.” She then dramatically shook her head and mouthed: “No.”
Surveying the room, she concluded with a tug of the ear and her signature phrase: “I’m so glad we had this time together.”
