The ceremony formerly known as the SAG Awards is trying to reinvent itself as the Actor Awards, but the newly announced 2026 nominations prove the core drama hasn’t changed in E! News’ breakdown of this year’s snubs and surprises. Netflix’s “The Studio” leads all shows with seven nominations, while coming‑of‑age drama “Adolescence” scored five, staking out early dominance in the TV race. On the film side, performances that critics pegged as borderline—like Kate Hudson’s turn in “Song Sung Blue”—managed to catch voters’ attention, even as some awards‑circuit staples were left out.
The snubs list is where the rebrand’s limits really show. Jennifer Lawrence’s Cannes‑lauded “Die My Love” is nowhere to be found, Apple’s glossy “Palm Royale” misses out after an Emmy nomination surge, and fan‑favorite casts like “The Bear” land ensemble nods but get blanked in individual categories. It’s a reminder that even when a show or movie dominates the conversation, the peer‑voting dynamics inside SAG‑AFTRA can produce a very different picture of what the acting community values.
For Netflix, Apple, and the rest of the streamers, the Actor Awards still matter as a bellwether heading into the Oscars and Emmys—even if casual viewers barely register the new name. A strong showing can reinforce a season‑long campaign, while an unexpected shutout might force studios to pivot their awards marketing toward other shows or performances. And for performers, the mix of legacy names and surprise breakouts keeps the narrative alive that, rebrand or not, this is still the one big night where actors themselves decide who deserves the spotlight.