SAG Awards Rebranded as “The Actor Awards” for 2026 Ceremony

The Screen Actors Guild Awards will undergo a significant rebranding, now known as “The Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA,” starting with the 32nd edition on March 1, 2026. The decision was announced by the performers’ union on Friday and aims to align the award’s name more closely with its trophy while enhancing its global appeal. The ceremony will stream live on Netflix, reaching audiences in over 190 countries.

Jon Brockett, the showrunner and executive producer of the telecast, emphasized the new name’s relevance. “Since the beginning, our statue has been called ‘The Actor,’ and we’re a show that’s entirely about actors, so this new name is a perfect next step in the show’s evolution,” he stated in an interview with Variety.

The trophy, awarded to winners since the ceremony’s inception in 1995, has always been referred to as “The Actor.” Despite this, the awards show itself retained the SAG Awards name even after the merger of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in 2012.

JoBeth Williams, chair of the SAG-AFTRA awards committee, noted that the rebranding clarifies the ceremony’s purpose for a growing international audience. “Now that our global audience is really growing, people don’t always understand what the union name is,” she explained to the Los Angeles Times. “But ‘the Actor Awards’ they recognize and they know they’re going to see their favorite actors when they tune in.”

Transitioning to Netflix in 2024 marked a new chapter for the awards, which previously aired on TNT and TBS. The move to a streaming platform allows for broader access and engagement with fans worldwide.

SAG-AFTRA indicated that campaign materials for the current awards season will still reference “SAG Awards” through the pre-nomination voting period, which concludes on January 5, 2026. Following the announcement of nominations on January 7, studios and networks will be encouraged to adopt the new name. “We understand there will be a period of transition where people — past winners and audiences included — will still refer to their award and the show as the SAG Awards, and that’s OK,” the union stated.

The Actor Awards are recognized as strong predictors for the acting categories at the Academy Awards, largely due to the influence of SAG-AFTRA members, who represent the largest voting bloc in the Motion Picture Academy. This rebranding not only reflects a commitment to evolution but also positions the awards for a more expansive future in the entertainment industry.