15th SAG Awards: 2009 SAG Awards nominations/nominees list

The 2009 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards nominations / nominees have just been announced earlier today echoing earlier choices made by various critics organizations and the Golden Globes who announced their nominations earlier this month. For Academy Award (Oscar) watchers, the SAG Award nominations are considered a bellwether of Oscar acting nominations. The actors' branch is the largest academy voting bloc and is responsible for creating the short lists for the various Oscar acting categories. Many previous Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nominees went on the be nominated in the Oscars, and many previous SAG winners have likewise gone on to pick up the most coveted prize of them all. However, there have been misses as well. A SAG win is by
no means a guarantee of an Oscar. Take last year as an example. Though last year's SAG lead actor winner, Daniel Day-Lewis, won the best acting Oscar for his performance in "There Will Be Blood," the Screen Actors Guild lead actress winner, Julie Christie, didn't duplicate the feat. Christie, who was nominated for "Away From Her," lost to Marion Cotillard, who played Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose."

Still, a SAG win is one of the most prestigious awards an actor can receive in Hollywood, and the SAG Awards have been one of the major awards events since 1995. Nominations for the awards come from 4200 randomly selected members of the union, with the full membership (120,000 as of 2007) available to vote for the winners.

Here are the nominations/nominees for the 2009 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards as announced a few hours ago:

For Outstanding Performance by a Cast, the nominees are "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Doubt," "Frost/Nixon," "Milk" and "Slumdog Millionaire."

For Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor, the nominees are Richard Jenkins ("The Visitor"), Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon"), Sean Penn ("Milk"), Brad Pitt ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") and Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler").

For Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress, the nominees are Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married"), Angelina Jolie ("Changeling"), Melissa Leo ("Frozen River"), Meryl Streep ("Doubt") and Kate Winslet ("Revolutionary Road").

For Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor, the nominees are Josh Brolin ("Milk"), Robert Downey Jr. ("Tropic Thunder"), Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Doubt"), Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight") and Dev Patel ("Slumdog Millionaire").

For Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress, the nominations are Amy Adams ("Doubt"), Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona"), Viola Davis ("Doubt"), Taraji P. Henson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") and Kate Winslet ("The Reader").

For Outstanding Performance by a TV Drama Series Ensemble, the nominations are "Boston Legal," "The Closer," "Dexter," "House" and "Mad Men."

For Outstanding Performance by a TV Comedy Series Ensemble, the nominations are "30 Rock," "Desperate Housewives," "Entourage," "The Office" and "Weeds."

For Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a TV Drama, the nominees are Michael C. Hall ("Dexter"), Jon Hamm ("Mad Men"), Hugh Laurie ("House"), William Shatner ("Boston Legal") and James Spader ("Boston Legal").

For Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a TV Drama, the nominees are Sally Field ("Brothers and Sisters"), Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: SVU"), Holly Hunter ("Saving Grace"), Elisabeth Moss ("Mad Men") and Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer").

For Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a TV Comedy, the nominees are Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock"), Steve Carell ("The Office"), David Duchovny ("Californication"), Jeremy Piven ("Entourage") and Tony Shalhoub ("Monk").

For Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a TV Comedy, the nominations are Christina Applegate ("Samantha Who?"), America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty"), Tina Fey ("30 Rock") Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds") and Tracey Ullman ("Tracey Ullman's State of the Union").

The 15th annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards will be announced on January 25.

I was scanning through the list as I was making this post and I noticed the shutout for Grey's Anatomy in the television drama category. Surprising considering how well the show and its cast have fared in the SAG previously. Same goes for Desperate Housewives. But then again, they were ignored by the Golden Globes as well. On the other hand, kudos to Michael Hall for another nomination for 'Dexter'. I hope he wins this time. However, Hugh Laurie, a perennial favorite and winner, looks strong again in this category. And don't count out Jon Hamm for 'Mad Men' either.