Biggest Snubs and Surprises at the 2026 Actor Awards Nominations

The nominations for the 32nd Annual Actor Awards, formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards, have officially been announced. While some frontrunners strengthened their place in this year’s awards race, several high-profile names were surprisingly left out, making this year’s nominations one of the most debated in recent memory.

Announced on January 7 by Abbott Elementary star Jannelle James and Heated Rivalry actor Connie Storrie, the nominations spotlighted major contenders such as “One Battle After Another”, “Sinners”, “The Pitt”, “The Studio”, and “Adolescence”.

Dwayne Johnson was surprisingly left out, even though his performance in “The Smashing Machine” had received plenty of praise. His co-star Emily Blunt was also overlooked, despite both actors receiving nominations at other major award shows. The absence was especially notable given the strong momentum going into awards season.

Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times

Another notable omission was Cynthia Erivo, whose performance in “Wicked: For Good” had positioned her as a strong contender. While Ariana Grande earned a supporting actress nominations for reprising her role as Glinda, Erivo’s absence marked a sharp contrast to the franchise’s awards success during the 2025 awards season.

Television fans were equally shocked by the lack of individual nominations for Kristen Bell in “Nobody Wants This” and Jeremy Allen White, who was overlooked both for “The Bear” and his portrayal of Bruce Springsteen in “Deliver Me from Nowhere.”

Veteran actors George Clooney and Adam Sandler received no recognition for “Jay Kelly,”despite widespread expectations.

International cinema didn’t fare much better, as Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” is widely regarded as an awards-season favorite, failed to secure acting nominations for its ensemble cast, including Elle Fanning and Renate Reinsve.

While some omissions disappointed fans, several unexpected nominations injected excitement into the list, Kate Hudson emerged as one of the surprises, earning a lead actress nomination for “Song Sung Blue,” breaking into one of the most competitive categories of the year.

Photo credit: Billboard

Miles Caton had two nominations for “Sinners,” coming right after his Critics Choice Award win. At just 20 years old, Caton’s riding success signals a promising future in the industry.

Another pleasant shock was Odessa A’Zion, who earned recognition for “Marty Supreme,” further solidifying the film’s strong showing alongside lead actor Timothée Chalamet. Jesse Plemons also defied expectations with a lead actor nominations for his role in “Bugonia,” emerging as a potential dark-horse contender.

On the television side, “Stranger Things” received rare recognition in the stunt ensemble category for its final season, while Taylor Sheridan’s Landman surprised with nominations for both drama ensemble and stunt performance after being largely ignored elsewhere.

Perhaps the impressive breakthrough came from Chase Infiniti, whose performance in “One Battle After Another” earned widespread recognition. The film earned nominations in almost every acting category, marking Infiniti as one of the season’s most promising new talents.

Awards Season Heats Up

With the Actor Awards ceremony set to stream live on Netflix on March 1, these nominations have set the stage for what promises to be an exciting and closely watched awards season.