Impassioned Political Speeches (and Netflix) Won Out at the SAG Awards

The 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards were handed out Sunday night, amid a highly charged political climate. With the unfolding events of the weekend, in the wake of Donald Trump’s ban on Muslim travelers, visa holders, and refugees to the United States, SAG’s celebration of the year’s best acting in film and television had a keen awareness of the national temperature.

The SAG Awards have always leaned a bit more political than the average award show, SAG-AFTRA being a union and thus inherently political. But from the opening moments, featuring testimonials from Kerry Washington and a stern-voiced Ashton Kutcher, the actors and actresses of Hollywood spoke about standing in solidarity with immigrants, Muslims, and persecuted people everywhere. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s speech after she won for her performance on Veep began with a joke about Donald Trump but ended earnestly with a statement from the Writers Guild about the President’s executive order, and the parade of winners, from Bryan Cranston to William H. Macy to life-achievement award-winner Lily Tomlin used all or parts of their speeches to reference current events.

The most emotional speech came from the winner for supporting actor in a movie, Moonlight‘s Mahershala Ali, who spoke about being a Muslim, about his ordained-minister mother, and about coming together instead of going to battle.

As for the awards themselves, it was a big night for Netflix, which dominated the TV awards. Claire Foy and John Lithgow both won for Best Actress and Best Actor in a TV drama for The Crown. Orange Is the New Black took home its third consecutive award for best ensemble cast of a TV comedy, while summer phenomenon Stranger Things took home the award for best ensemble cast of a drama. David Harbour’s speech on behalf of the Stranger Things cast managed to be the most stirring and rousing moment of the night, punctuated by the one-of-a-kind reactions given by Winona Ryder.

On the movie side, Mahershala Ali, Viola Davis, and Emma Stone all won the awards people expected they would. The big upset saw Denzel Washington take Best Actor for his performance in Fences over the heavily favored Casey Affleck.

With awards-season sweeper La La Land not nominated for the night’s biggest prize, the award for ensemble in a film went to Hidden Figures, giving that film’s star, Taraji P. Henson, the chance to give, yes, a stirring and emotional speech.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS:

Film

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Lead Role: Denzel Washington, Fences

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Lead Role: Emma Stone, La La Land

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Viola Davis, Fences

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast: Hidden Figures

TV:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie: Bryan Cranston, All the Way

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie: Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series: John Lithgow, The Crown

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series: Claire Foy, The Crown

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series: William H. Macy, Shameless

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: Stranger Things

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series: Orange Is the New Black