Spotlight takes top prize at SAG awards

Idris Elba wins the double for acting.

by Jennie Kermode

Idris Elba in Beasts Of No Nation
Idris Elba in Beasts Of No Nation

Tom McCarthy's Spotlight, which Bobby Cannavale praised for its honesty, has won the coveted Best performance by a cast in a motion picture award at the 22nd Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards, which were held in Los Angeles tonight. It will give a big boost to the film's Oscar hopes after it struggled to make headway earlier in the season.

Idris Elba expressed surprise and delight at being named Best Supporting Actor for Beasts Of No Nation, especially as he also picked up a Best Actor prize for his television work (Luther). Having recently spoken out on the need for diversity in film and television, he will be particularly pleased to receive this acclaim in an awards season which is notable for its almost exclusively white winners so far. The SAG awards are often those treasured most by actors because the voters are their peers and truly understand their craft.

Those film awards in full:

Performance by a cast in a motion picture

Performance by a male actor in a leading role

Performance by a female actor in a leading role

Performance by a female actor in a supporting role

Performance by a male actor in a supporting role

Action performance by a stunt ensemble in a motion picture

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