The 2026 SAG Awards nominations are out, and they delivered one of the most unexpected turns of the season.
According to Variety, two high-profile performances many assumed were locked into the conversation—Cynthia Erivo in Wicked: For Good and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in The Smashing Machine—were left completely off the ballot.
Erivo’s omission raised immediate eyebrows. Her return as Elphaba had been widely praised, and she entered the season with momentum after earning awards recognition for the first Wicked film.
This marks another notable miss for the sequel, following her absence from the Critics' Choice Awards lineup. Her co-star Ariana Grande did land a supporting actress nomination, however.
Johnson’s snub was equally striking. The Smashing Machine was viewed as a potential career-shifting role for the global superstar, with early buzz framing it as one of his most serious performances to date. Despite that anticipation, the SAG Awards voting body passed on recognizing the performance, keeping Johnson out of a category that often rewards transformational turns.
The surprises didn’t stop there. The SAG Awards also excluded all foreign-language performances this year, sidelining several acclaimed international contenders. Wagner Moura, who has collected major honors elsewhere for The Secret Agent, failed to break through with the actors’ guild, despite wins and nominations from critics' groups earlier in the season.
While some doors closed, others opened wide. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another dominated the film side of the nominations, setting a new SAG record with seven nods. Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor were all recognized, along with a coveted ensemble nomination that positions the film as a major awards-season force.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners also emerged as a standout, earning multiple acting nominations and a spot in the ensemble race. Michael B. Jordan’s lead performance gained traction, while Miles Caton picked up a supporting nod that continues his breakout awards run.
On the television side, Apple TV+’s The Studio led the pack with five nominations, including acting bids for Seth Rogen, Kathryn Hahn, and Catherine O’Hara.
Meanwhile, Netflix made its presence felt across multiple categories, even as fan favorites like Stranger Things walked away empty-handed.