Ahead of its 32nd edition on March 1, 2026, the SAG Awards — through which SAG-AFTRA, the largest acting union in the world, celebrates performances in film and on television — is getting a new name: the Actor Awards.
Jon Brockett, the showrunner and executive producer of the award show’s telecast, and JoBeth Williams, the actress and chair of SAG-AFTRA’s Awards Committee, announced the news on Friday, calling it, in a joint statement, “a perfect next step in the show’s evolution.”
Within Hollywood, everyone knows that SAG stands for Screen Actors Guild, but out in the rest of the world, a show called the SAG Awards raised questions. The show, long aired on basic cable, began streaming on Netflix ahead of its 30th edition, and ever since, its organizers have been tinkering with its format to make it more appealing to a global audience. This name-change also furthers that agenda.
Brockett and Williams, anticipating curiosity about the change, provided the media with the following questions and answers.
Why are you changing the name of the SAG Awards?
Since the show started over 30 years ago, our iconic statuette has always been called The Actor, and simply evolving the show’s name to align with the award itself made obvious sense. We wanted to provide clearer recognition in terms of what the show is about for our domestic and global audiences — we honor actors in film and television. Laser-focusing the name on those two things became the clearest and most straightforward path for this new chapter of the show.
When was this first discussed? Why now?
This evolution has been a long time coming. Since the show’s inception, the statuette has been called The Actor and, as the show’s global audience expanded through Netflix, the timing felt right to make the alignment official and step confidently into the show’s next era.
What exactly is changing and what’s staying the same?
The show’s name is now The Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA, but the foundation remains the same: it’s actors honoring actors. The statuette has always been called The Actor, and we’re simply aligning the show’s title with the name of the award itself and the union behind it.
How does this impact the legacy and prestige of the SAG Awards?
The legacy and prestige remains exactly the same. We’re excited to evolve the name to further support who we are and the future growth of the show.
Will audiences still recognize this as the SAG Awards?
Yes. The show’s spirit and purpose will remain the same — it’s still actors honoring actors — only the show name is evolving. The refreshed name will help introduce it to new audiences globally.
Does this change anything for voters, submissions or eligibility?
No, everything about voting, submissions and eligibility remains the same. Only the show name is changing.
How does this affect FYC campaigns, screeners and trade ads?
To help ease the transition for reps at studio and network, FYC campaign materials will continue using Screen Actors Guild Awards through this season’s pre-nomination voting period ending on Jan. 5, 2026. Moving forward, post-nominations, we will be advising everyone to use The Actor Awards.
How should people refer to past wins?
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. We know it’ll take time to adjust to the change.
Is SAG-AFTRA changing its involvement or ownership of the show?
Not at all. The show continues to be proudly presented by SAG-AFTRA.
Is this because of the SAG-AFTRA Merger?
After the merger between SAG and AFTRA, we continued to refer to the show as the SAG Awards. Now, with the new name of the show — The Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA — we’re finally able to fully recognize that merger and align it with the name of our statuette, The Actor.
Were everyday members consulted?
With more than 160,000 members, it wasn’t possible to involve everyone directly, but the Awards Committee, made up of members, was deeply involved throughout. This decision was guided by the Awards Committee, who represent the membership and SAG-AFTRA leadership. Our goal is, and has always been, to bring greater clarity and global visibility to every performer the union represents, and we’re confident the new name does exactly that.
