‘Wicked’ Dominates SAG Awards Nominations; Jolie and Kidman Left Out

The hit musical ‘Wicked’ led the nominations for the prestigious Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, which are critical indicators for potential Oscar nominations. Meanwhile, the film ‘The Brutalist’, which received high praise from the Golden Globes, managed to secure only one nomination, leaving star Angelina Jolie without any nod for her role in ‘Maria’.

The cinematic adaptation of the popular Broadway show ‘Wicked’ garnered five nominations, including the top honor for ‘Outstanding Performance by a Cast’. Other nominations for ‘Wicked’ included ones for lead actress, supporting actor and actress, along with a nod for the stunt ensemble.

Another film, Bob Dylan's biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’, received four nominations, while the wild and whimsical narco-musical ‘Emilia Perez’, which shone at the Golden Globes, picked up three nominations. These films are competing against the critically acclaimed Cannes favorite ‘Anora’ and the papal thriller ‘Conclave’ for the coveted cast award, as revealed by the organizers.

Despite its earlier success, ‘The Brutalist’ missed out on the ensemble category, with its only nomination going to Adrien Brody, who has also been recognized at the Globes.

The SAG Awards are particularly important as they are voted on by Hollywood actors, who constitute a significant portion of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Oscars. The SAG nominations thus serve as a vital predictor for the Oscars.

Angelina Jolie's lack of a nomination for her portrayal of Maria Callas in ‘Maria’ might signal trouble for her Oscar aspirations this year. Competing for the Lead Actress award alongside Cynthia Erivo from ‘Wicked’ will be Golden Globes winner Demi Moore for her performance in ‘The Substance’, as well as Pamela Anderson, Karla Sofia Gascon, and Mikey Madison.

Nicole Kidman also found herself on the sidelines, despite receiving critical acclaim for her performance in ‘Babygirl’. Fernanda Torres, who won a Globe for ‘I’m Still Here’, also did not receive a nomination in the same stacked category.

In the Lead Actor category, Brody will face competition from Ralph Fiennes in ‘Conclave’, Timothee Chalamet for his portrayal of Dylan in ‘A Complete Unknown’, Daniel Craig in ‘Queer’, and Colman Domingo for his role in ‘Sing Sing’.

Despite a disappointing night at the Golden Globes where ‘Wicked’ only won the award for cinematic and box office achievement, the film bounced back with several SAG nominations, including individual nods for stars Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey.

The SAG Awards recognize talent in television as well, with the Japanese historical drama ‘Shogun’ leading the TV nominations with five nods. The awards ceremony is set for February 23 in Los Angeles, and it will be streamed live on Netflix for the second consecutive year.

Due to severe wildfires in the Los Angeles area, the live announcement of the nominees was canceled. Additionally, the organizers of the Critics Choice Awards, set for Sunday, have postponed the event because of the ongoing crisis.

Further attention was drawn to the Directors' Guild of America, which also announced its nominations. The list includes Sean Baker for ‘Anora’, Jacques Audiard for ‘Emilia Perez’, Edward Berger for ‘Conclave’, Brady Corbet for ‘The Brutalist’, and James Mangold for ‘A Complete Unknown’. Jon Chu was notably left out for ‘Wicked’.

The DGA Awards are scheduled for February 10.

Wicked, Awards, SAG, Nominations