The recognition of black creators and black talent seems to be getting more universal with every passing award show. This year, the 23rd Annual SAG Awards were giving out mad accolades to those well-deserving actresses, actors, film and television offerings that wowed their peers.
After all the love that Black folks have been getting this award season (Golden Globes), there are still props to be dished out.
After all, peer recognition is a very recent phenomenon for most Black thespians and creators of filmworks. Viola Davis won the SAG Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Fences”, making her the first Black woman to win five SAG Awards, while the inspirational film Hidden Figures won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, over Moonlight and Manchester By The Sea.
The theme for the entire evening was about inclusion and diversity, which was first sparked by actor Ashton Kutcher speaking out against unconstitutional immigration policies that are being undertaken by the current administration.
Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who won the SAG Award for her HBO political satire VEEP also spoke out against the current divisive political atmosphere. However, many believe actor Mahershala Ali, who won the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, gave the speech of the evening.
Your boy Denzel Washington brought home the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for playing Troy Maxson in Fences.
The Netflix series ‘Orange Is the New Black’ won best ensemble in a comedy series for the third year in a row and has one of the most diverse casts in all of television.
“We stand up here representing a diverse group of people, representing generations of families who have sought a better life here from places like Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Ireland, said star Taylor Schilling, while a cast member added ‘Brooklyn!’ And we know that its going to be up to us and all you, probably, to keep telling stories that show what unites us is stronger than the forces that divide us.
Veteran actor Bryan Cranston won an award for his portrayal of Lyndon B. Johnson in HBO’s All The Way, Sarah Paulson was awarded for her role in “The People v. O.J. Simpson” and John Lithgow won the best actor in a drama series for his role as Winston Churchill in “The Crown.”
The wildly popular sci-fi series Stranger Things won the award for Outstanding Performances by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. The Screen Actors Guild Awards, like other mainstream award shows of late, showed love to African American actors and actresses this time around. However, one can only hope that talented people of color continue to be recognized for their extraordinary gifts from here out.
