SAG Awards give most nominations to The Help, Modern Family

One of TV's all-time "funny women," Mary Tyler Moore has a statue of her as the iconic Mary Richards in Minneapolis. She'll get a much smaller but equally important one come January 29th.

The SAG Awards, the awards show without a “Best Picture” and “Best Director,” nominated The Help (film) 4 times over and Modern Family (TV) 5 times for its 18th annual outing (airing January 29th, 2012). Mary Tyler Moore, bajillion-time (really 6) Emmy Award winner and one-time Oscar nominee, will receive the Life Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild. Because it’s a more popular, bigger-name awards show, the SAG Awards usually skew toward the expected and often famous actors, films, TV shows. However, there are a few surprises of note.

Demián Bichir, who plays a father in East L.A. struggling with gangs, immigration, and providing for his son in the scantly seen A Better Life, knocked off more expected nominees like Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling, and Gary Oldman for a spot on the 5-actor list. Armie Hammer and Jonah Hill,

The cast of "The Help" (pictured) leads all films with 4 nominations, but 2 in the same category (Female Actor in a Supporting Role).

supporting actors from more widely seen and well-known films like J. Edgar and Moneyball, made the list. Popcorn action flicks like Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Cowboys and Aliens assuredly made the “Stunt Ensemble” set, which also sports Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows – Part 2 and X-Men: First Class. Kathy Bates does double duty for her work in Woody Allen’s film Midnight in Paris and David E. Kelly’s TV series Harry’s Law.

Twice a "Comedy Series" Emmy champion, "Modern Family" hopes to repeat at the SAG Awards as well.

As for the TV nominees, Patrick J. Adams (Suits) and Jessica Lange (American Horror Story) snuck into the “Drama Actor” spots. Betty White is nominated twice, once for Hot in Cleveland (assumed) and once for Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Lost Valentine (really?). But she’s having a renaissance and who am I to stand in her way? As expected, Modern Family dominated both “Actor in a Comedy Series”  lists. Maybe just maybe, though, the SAG Awards can make up for the Emmys’ glaring choice to shut Steve Carell out from an Emmy after creating one of the most memorable comedic characters of all time. It’s really only a hope though. Seeing two-time defending champ for “Lead Actor – Comedy Series,” Jim Parsons, omitted from the list could be just what Carell needs.

17th SAG Award Winners

Screen Actors Guild 47th Annual Life Achievement Award
Ernest Borgnine

Film

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Colin Firth – The King’s Speech

• Jeff Bridges – True Grit
• Robert Duvall – Get Low
• Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network
• James Franco – 127 Hours

For Your Consideration: Larry King Live, SAG nominations, Australian Open 2010

How did World No. 16’s Mardy Fish and Marion Bartoli fare this year? Why was the Serena Williams-Justin Henin final of the Australian Open the 7th best match of 2010?

What could be the Oscar fallout from today’s SAG Award nominations?

Who has the best chance at nabbing a Golden Globe as of now?

After a stunning 25-year run (it was the longest running program before shutting down tonight), what were Larry King Live‘s Top 10 Moments?

SAG Awards add some spice after a bland ceremony

The SAG Awards added some surprises to a field that was expectedly predictable last year.

One of the few TV/film combo awards shows out there (the most notable other than the Golden Globes), the 17th SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Awards have chosen an interesting mix of nominees — much unlike the heavily predictable field of nominees from last year’s ceremony. Being one of the Guild Awards — joined by the PGA (producers) and DGA (directors) — the SAG Awards are already integral in determining the Oscars’ field of nominees. But it also helps that last season, this Guild’s film nominees were all nominated in their respective Oscar categories. In other words, a predictable ceremony gave the SAG Awards a 100% accurate rating. If that percentage remains perfect this year, some  races’ frontrunners are in for a few shake-ups. The most notable additions are in the “Supporting” fields: Mila Kunis (Black Swan) continues to build more momentum for an Oscar bid, to the point where it looks all but secured; John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone) was talked about early on as a potential nominee, but faded for a bit and has since come back into prominence; and though The Town has been on the shortlist of the 10 “Best Picture” nominees since the awards season began, Jeremy Renner’s recent rise in popularity on “Supporting Actor” ballots bodes very well for his Oscar future. There also two surprising additions to the “Lead” acting fields: Hilary Swank is always an awards contender, but Conviction, the film in which she stars, didn’t receive astoundingly good reviews and most of the awards’ love so far has gone to her supporting cast of Sam Rockwell and Juliette Lewis; Robert Duvall was also praised for his role in Get Low — as were Sissy Spacek and Bill Murray — but he has previously seemed one spot short of appearing as a nominee, which could now change come the Oscars.