Forget a simple plot twist—this is a full-scale title change! The Screen Actors Guild Awards, the glitzy night where Hollywood’s biggest stars honor their own, are officially getting a new name.
Move over “SAG Awards,” and make way for “The Actor Awards presented by Sag-Aftra.”
The new title is a direct nod to the iconic statuette, simply called “The Actor,” which was handed to winners like Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini just this past February. As the show’s executive producer put it, “Since the beginning, our statue has been called ‘The Actor’… so this new name is a perfect next step.” In short, it’s a show for actors, about actors, and now, literally named “The Actor.”
This rebrand isn’t just for show. With the ceremony beaming out to over 190 countries, the goal is instant recognition. As awards committee chair JoBeth Williams explained, global audiences might not know what “SAG” stands for, but “‘the Actor Awards’ they recognize… they know they’re going to see their favourite actors.”
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The timing is perfect for the star-studded 32nd ceremony, slated for March 1, 2026. The name change also finally unifies the show with its parent union, Sag-Aftra (the merged organization of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), and its famous trophy.
This move puts “The Actor Awards” in the same league as the Oscars and the Emmys—awards known by their trophy’s name rather than the organization behind them. And just like its famous peers, a win here is a major Oscar-season booster, often sharpening the focus of the Academy Awards race.
The announcement comes on the heels of a leadership shake-up, with The Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin recently elected as the new president of Sag-Aftra, succeeding The Nanny‘s Fran Drescher, who led the union through the monumental 2023 strikes. It seems a new era for the union is starting with a brand new marquee.
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