The Tamesis
Rewind a few days and you might be forgiven for thinking the 2026 Oscar race has been settled. Paul Thomas Anderson one battle after another Sweeping all the major Trailer Awards, taking home the top prize at the Critics’ Choice Awards, the Golden Globes, the BAFTA Awards, and just last Saturday, the Producers Guild of America, the major bellwether of the Academy Awards. Now it only needs a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Movie to confirm its dominance.
But it’s the latter awards show that gives us the last-minute twist that makes awards season so exciting: Ryan Coogler’s sinner Instead, they received the honor. With final Oscar voting underway – all ballots are due to be submitted on Thursday – this is sure to give the hilarious vampire saga a huge boost. The enthusiasm for the film was palpable in the room — Viola Davis cheered before awarding the best actor award to star Michael B. Jordan; Samuel L. Jackson let out a loud laugh before speaking sinner Ensemble Award; both wins drew rousing standing ovations; and Delroy Lindo’s tearful, somewhat shocking final speech will surely remain top of mind for undecided voters.
The Best Picture Oscar isn’t guaranteed by any means — PGA winners have won Best Picture seven of ten times over the past decade, so it’s a more reliable predictor. (As far as the Screen Actors Guild Award goes, it has tied for Best Picture five times in the past 10 years.) But when Best Picture doesn’t go to a PGA winner (1917 2020, big short 2016), which is regularly awarded to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Ensemble Champion (parasites, spotlight). As a result, on Oscar night 13 days later, sinner and war There could be a close race for the top prize.
This isn’t the only battle that’s keeping us on edge. The other was Best Actor: After winning the Critics’ Choice Award, the Golden Globe, and basically every Critics Circle Award except Marty SupreTimothée Chalamet will receive the award. Yes, the Baftas threw a curve ball, handing the award to I swearRobert Aramayo But isn’t this a typically left-wing move from an awards body that likes to reward homegrown talent? Well, it turns out maybe not — which, as some suspected, may be a sign that Chalamet isn’t the front-runner we thought he was. At the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the winner was, of course, Michael B. Jordan.
The warm welcome he received in the room and the charismatic delivery he delivered were a much-needed reminder of the 39-year-old’s unparalleled charisma and his years of experience working in the industry, from action epics and franchise films to more serious dramas and beloved indie hits. There’s every chance he can turn that momentum into a Best Actor Oscar win. (Lest we forget, sinner With a track record of 16 nominations, this is a movie that the Academy really loves. )
