How the SAG Awards may have shaken up the 2021 Oscar race

The 2021 Oscars are now less than three weeks away. But don't lock in any predictions before checking out the big winners from the SAG Awards.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards were held on Sunday, offering key implications for the Academy Awards. For one, Chadwick Boseman and Daniel Kaluuya took home the best lead actor and supporting actor prizes, respectively, which may confirm them as unstoppable frontrunners in their Oscar categories.

Meanwhile, Minari's Youn Yuh-jung may have emerged as the Best Supporting Actress frontrunner after winning a SAG Award, gaining a key advantage despite Borat's Maria Bakalova having a Critics' Choice Award win under her belt. The biggest implication from the SAG Awards, though, may be Viola Davis' lead actress win. Some pundits argued Carey Mulligan was the Oscars' Best Actress frontrunner after she won at the Critics' Choice Awards, or possibly Andra Day after her Golden Globe victory. But now, could the momentum shift toward Davis?

This was the first time ever that all four SAG film acting winners were people of color, which could forecast the most diverse set of major Academy Award winners ever, Variety noted.

In the top SAG category, The Trial of the Chicago 7 gained a boost in Best Picture momentum by winning Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Notably, though, Nomadland wasn't nominated in that category, nor was Promising Young Woman, so the former movie's position as Best Picture frontrunner hasn't necessarily changed. Some pundits, though, saw the SAG Awards as an opportunity for Minari to prove itself as Nomadland's biggest Best Picture threat. But could that instead be The Trial of the Chicago 7?

Last year, Parasite's big SAG win previewed its upset Best Picture victory over 1917. At the same time, though, considering Chicago 7 was snubbed for Best Director at the Oscars, defeating Nomadland for Best Picture may be a challenge.

The 2021 Oscars are set for April 25.

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