Precursor: 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards (2018)

The Screen Actors Guild awards are happening now. I’ll update as the winners are announced, including the graphic and the tallies. In the interim, our team’s predictions will be included below so you can see what everyone thought might happen tonight. I’ll also consider writing a play-by-play of each winner and what it means to the Oscar race.

Ensemble: History is made as Black Panther not only becomes the first film ever to win both stunt and regular ensemble awards at SAG as well as the first superhero film to win this award, it is also the first majority-black film ever to win the ensemble award. This is a watershed moment for cinema in general and SAG in specific. While I doubt that this can carry over to the Oscars, but it certainly gives it a bump.

Actress: There is nothing now that stands in Glenn Close’s way. She will finally win that elusive Oscar.

Actor: Christian Bale’s trajectory towards the Oscar has been halted. While this might not boost Malek up to an eventual Oscar win, it definitely turns it into a race. We now look to BAFTA to see what they do to know better if Malek can move on to the Oscar or if Bale will move back into position.

Supporting Actor: With this win, Mahershala Ali cements his second Oscar whether deserved or not. Poor Richard E. Grant who should be winning all the awards.

Supporting Actress: The Oscars will not be impacted by this choice because Emily Blunt wasn’t nominated. That said, it suggests that none of the actual Oscar nominees (Amy Adams, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz) who couldn’t manage to overcome a non-nominee, which gives King a strong leg-up in the Oscar competition.

Stunt Ensemble: The first award of the night, handed out prior to the awards ceremony proper, went to Black Panther for its stunt ensemble. Now, we just have to wait to hear what the other winners are. This doesn’t mean a lot except that it could indicate the first time in SAG history where the top honor and the stunt ensemble honor went to the same film.