Lights, camera, branding! The SAG awards get a big name change
Forget a simple plot twist – this is a complete title change! The Screen Actors Guild Awards, the glittering night where Hollywood’s biggest stars honor their own, is officially getting a new name.
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Away with the “SAG Awards,” and make way for “The Actor Awards presented by Sag-Aftra.”
The new title is a direct tribute to the iconic statuette, which is simply called “The Actor,” and which was presented to winners such as Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini as recently as February. As the show’s executive producer put it, “Since the beginning, our statue has been called ‘The Actor’… So this new name is a perfect next step.” In short, it’s an awards ceremony for actors, about actors, and now, literally named after “The Actor.”
This brand change is not just for show. With the ceremony broadcast to over 190 countries, the goal is instant recognition. As awards committee chair JoBeth Williams explained, global audiences may not always know what “SAG” stands for, but “‘The Actor Awards’ they recognize… They know they’re going to see their favorite actors.”
The timing is perfect for the star-studded 32nd ceremony, which is scheduled for March 1, 2026. The name change also finally unites the show with its parent union, Sag-Aftra (the merged organization of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), and its famous trophy.
This move puts “The Actor Awards” in the same league as the Academy Awards and the Emmy Awards—awards that are known by the names of the trophies rather than the organizations behind them. And just like its famous siblings, a win here is a huge advantage in Oscar season, often sharpening the focus in the race to the Academy Awards.
The announcement comes just after a change of leadership, where The Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin was recently elected as the new president of Sag-Aftra. He takes over from The Nanny star Fran Drescher, who led the union through the monumental strikes in 2023. It seems that a new era for the union starts with a completely new façade.
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