Musical ‘A Star is Born’ leads film contenders for SAG awards

LOS ANGELES: Musical drama remake “A Star is Born” led a wide range of contenders for the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Wednesday, landing four nominations, including best movie ensemble.

The film will compete for SAG’s top movie prize in a diverse group that includes superhero movie “Black Panther,” romantic comedy “Crazy Rich Asians,” rock biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” and director Spike Lee’s historical drama “BlacKkKlansman.”

“A Star is Born,” released by AT&T Inc’s Warner Bros, features Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in a classic story about a young woman trying to make it in the music business. Both actors were nominated for individual awards for their performances.

The SAG awards are closely watched as an indicator of likely Oscar success because actors form the largest voting group in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

In the last 23 years, only one film has won the best picture Oscar without being nominated for SAG’s top ensemble prize, last year’s “The Shape of Water.”

SAG award winners will be announced on Jan. 27 at a ceremony in Los Angeles.

“Black Panther” and “Crazy Rich Asians” were both heralded as milestones for diversity in Hollywood, which has faced criticism for under-representation of actors and filmmakers of colour. “Black Panther” was the first big-budget superhero movie to star a predominantly black cast, while “Crazy Rich Asians” was the first film with an all-Asian cast from a major Hollywood studio in 25 years.

“Vice,” which garnered the most Golden Globe nominations, earned SAG acting nods for Christian Bale and Amy Adams for their roles as former Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne.

Other actors nominated for leading roles included Rami Malek for playing Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Viggo Mortensen for road-trip comedic drama “Green Book” and John David Washington for “BlacKkKlansman.”

In the running for lead actress were Emily Blunt in the musical sequel “Mary Poppins Returns,” Glenn Close for drama “The Wife,” Olivia Colman for British historical comedy “The Favourite” and Melissa McCarthy in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Blunt scored a second acting nod for her supporting role in horror film “A Quiet Place.” Adams and Emma Stone also earned two acting nominations each.

In TV, Amazon.com Inc comedy “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and Netflix Inc drama “Ozark” topped the list of SAG nominees with four nods each.

“Black Panther” and “Mary Poppins Returns” were released by Walt Disney Co. “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Favourite” and “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” were distributed by Twenty-First Century Fox Inc.

In addition to “A Star is Born,” Warner Bros released “Crazy Rich Asians,” while “The Wife” was distributed by Sony Corp (6758.T).