Cate Blanchett wins Screen Actors Guild award
Cate Blanchett has continued her domination of Hollywood award season with a win at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.
Blanchett won the best actress SAG on Saturday night for her lead performance in Woody Allen’s comedy-drama Blue Jasmine.
A week ago Blanchett claimed a Golden Globe for the role and on Thursday was nominated for an Oscar.
The SAG win confirms her almost unbackable favouritism for the best actress Oscar at the March 2 Academy Awards.
It is also a great omen.
In 2005 when Blanchett won the supporting actress SAG award she went on to win her first Oscar, supporting actress for The Aviator.
Blanchett’s sweep of awards season comes despite competition from some of the greats of the business.
The other SAG best actress nominees were: Meryl Streep (August: Osage County); Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Judi Dench (Philomena); and Emma Thompson (Saving Mr Banks).
American Hustle won the ensemble film award.
In other SAG categories, Matthew McConaughey continued his run at the best actor Oscar with a SAG victory for Dallas Buyers Club.
His co-star, Jared Leto, won the supporting SAG while 12 Years a Slave’s Lupita Nyong’o caused an upset in the supporting actress category.
She beat favourite Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle) and heavyweights Julia Roberts (August: Osage County) and Oprah Winfrey (The Butler).
In the TV categories, Modern Family won the best comedy ensemble and Breaking Bad took the drama ensemble.
Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston also won the lead actor in a drama series award.
Helen Mirren, for Phil Spector, caused an upset over Top of the Lake duo Elisabeth Moss and Holly Hunter in the TV movie or mini-series category.
The SAGs were held at The Shrine auditorium in Los Angeles.
SAG is the union representing more than 100,000 actors.