SAG Awards Nominations Are In!

Award season is officially in full gear and the SAG Awards nominations are helping to get this long awaited party started.

Most of the usual suspects cluttered the list with sprinkles of the unexpected and of course there the few pleasant surprises. One of them being Octavia Spencer who was recognized for her subtly gratifying performance in the summer sleeper hit The Help which was also recognized in a few other key categories; Viola Davis got a nod in the Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Lead Role, and Jessica Chastain will be competing against Spencer in the Supporting Role category. The Help was also nominated for Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture. Not bad for a film that evoked some criticism due to the sensitive nature of the story which centers on an African-American maid during the civil unrest of the 60’s who documents her observations and ends up using them as a template for her book.

Judd Apatow’s popular female romp The Bridesmaids got a shout out in the Best Ensemble category, with Melissa McCarthy continuing her good luck streak from the Emmy’s with a nod in the Supporting Role category.

One major surprise was the absence of Michael Fassbender and co-star Carey Mulligan who are currently getting great reviews, particularly Fassbender for the Steve McQueen vehicle Shame. Perhaps the NC-17rating proved too risqué for voters. Hopefully that won’t carryover to the other award shows.

The SAG Awards will take place on January 29^th. Visit The Hollywood Reporter for a complete listing of all the nominees.