'Three billboards' wins big at female friendly SAG awards

LOS ANGELES - AFP

Black comedy "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" won three prizes Jan. 21 at the Screen Actors Guild awards, in a ceremony that paid tribute to women in the wake of a sexual misconduct scandal.

The film, which had previously triumphed at the Golden Globes, is now a hot favorite at the Oscars alongside "The Shape of Water" which won best movie at the Producers Guild Awards on Jan. 20.

Frances McDormand won outstanding performance by a lead actress for her role as a mother seeking to avenge the rape and murder of her daughter in "Three Billboards."

Judi Dench ("Victoria and Abdul"), Sally Hawkins ("The Shape of Water"), Margot Robbie ("I, Tonya") and Saoirse Ronan ("Lady Bird") were all nominated.

With a Golden Globe already under her belt, McDormand is now a clear frontrunner for an Academy Award for Best Actress, while 59-year-old Briton Gary Oldman appears to be in line for Best Actor for his turn as wartime leader Winston Churchill in "Darkest Hour."

The awards are a bellwether for the Oscars in March, as its members represent about 1,200 of the roughly 6,000 voters for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  Oscar nominations will be announced on Jan. 23.

"Three Billboards" also won best ensemble, the event's most prestigious award, while Sam Rockwell took home the best supporting actor statuette for his role as a police officer in the film.

In the television category, family drama "This Is Us" won best ensemble while Sterling K. Brown won in the male actor category.

Nicole Kidman meanwhile won outstanding performance by a female actor in a TV movie or miniseries for "Big Little Lies" while Alexander Skarsgard, who plays her violent husband, won the equivalent category for men.

HBO's "Veep," starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as hapless former president Selina Meyer, won best ensemble in a comedy series and best actress for Louis-Dreyfus, who is battling cancer and could not attend.

William H. Macy meanwhile picked up best actor in a comedy series for "Shameless."

SAG nominations are the second major announcement in Tinseltown's glittering awards season, which climaxes with the Academy Awards in March.

While far less flashy than the Globes, the SAG awards are seen as more of an indicator of Oscars glory.