Chadwick Boseman, “Schitt’s Creek,” “The Crown” Win Big at the SAG Awards

The 27th Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards were given out on April 4th, 2021, giving actors and actresses themselves the opportunity to vote on their favorite movies, television shows, and performances by their peers. Simulcast on networks TBS and TNT, and presented by The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), this year’s award ceremony was notable for being the first time in the Award Show’s 26-year history that BIPOC won all four individual acting categories for film. These actors and actresses include Chadwick Boseman of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Viola Davis of the same movie, Daniel Kaluuya of “Judas and the Black Messiah,” and Youn Yuh-Jung of “Minari.”

The late Chadwick Boseman, who died on August 28th, 2020, following a long and secretive battle with colon cancer, won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and being the first person to win that award posthumously. Boseman broke the record for most individual nominations in a single ceremony, having also been nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in “Da 5 Bloods,” and with the rest of the casts for the films as mentioned earlier.

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and television shows “Schitt’s Creek” and “The Crown” all walked away with two awards each, but it was the latter two who both tied for most nominations this year. Both shows were nominated five times each in their respective categories, often being nominated in the same category multiple times. Gillian Anderson, Olivia Colman, and Emma Corrin of “The Crown” were all nominated for “Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series,” with Anderson winning the award for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher.

Each year, the SAG Awards also awards Stunt Ensembles in both motion pictures and television series. “Wonder Woman 1984” won for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture. The popular Disney+ show “The Mandalorian” won Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series.

Along with awarding movies, television shows, and performances, SAG-AFTRA also honored famous actors and actresses who died in 2020 and early 2021, including Sean Connery, Conchata Ferrell, Tommy Lister Jr., Kelly Preston, Naya Rivera, George Segal, Jerry Stiller, and of course, Chadwick Boseman.