Hollywood
Hollywood’s actors rename SAG-Aftra awards after themselves
LOS ANGELES: Hollywood’s actors have decided their awards show needed a rebrand. Starting with the 32nd ceremony on 1 March 2026, the Screen Actors Guild Awards will become The Actor Awards presented by SAG-Aftra. The change, announced last Friday, swaps decades of branding for a name inspired by the ceremony’s trophy—a statuette called The Actor.
The logic is straightforward. For over 30 years, presenters have declared “and The Actor goes to…” when announcing winners. The union reckons it’s time the show’s name matched the ritual. SAG-Aftra president and recipient of the statuette in 2004 Sean Astin says the trophy “represents all of us” and embodies “the dignity, poise and skill that define our craft.”
The rebranding aims to clarify what sets this awards night apart: actors voting for actors. Unlike the Oscars or Golden Globes, where journalists, industry veterans or academy members cast ballots, SAG-Aftra’s 160,000-odd members are the sole judges. National executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland insists the categories and voting process remain untouched. Only the masthead changes.
The union also wants the full SAG-Aftra name front and centre. As a merged organisation—the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists combined in 2012—leaders believe the expanded title better represents their sprawling membership. Netflix will continue streaming the ceremony live, with executives hopeful that international viewers will grasp what makes the show distinct.
Whether audiences will embrace calling it “The Actor Awards” remains unclear. But for an industry that spends half its time obsessing over identity and the other half handing itself trophies, the name fits like a bespoke tuxedo.
Actors honouring actors with an award called The Actor?
You couldn’t write it.
Actually, they just did.
Hollywood
David Zaslav could net up to $887m as Warner Bros Discovery sells up
Media mogul strikes gold as Paramount Skydance deal triggers massive windfall
NEW YORK: While the average office worker might hope for a nice clock and a round of applause upon leaving, David Zaslav is looking at a slightly more substantial parting gift. The chief executive officer of Warner Bros Discovery is positioned to receive a windfall of up to $887 million following the company’s blockbuster $110 billion sale to Paramount Skydance.
In a twist of corporate fate that feels scripted for the big screen, the deal marks the finale of a high-stakes bidding war. It comes after Netflix, once the frontrunner, decided to exit stage left and abandon its pursuit of the HBO Max parent company.
While most people receive a standard final paycheck, the filing released on Monday suggests Zaslav’s exit package is built a little differently. If the deal closes as expected in the third quarter of 2026, the numbers break down like this:
The cash out: A severance package of $34.2 million, covering his salary and bonuses.
The equity: $115.8 million in vested shares he already owns.
The future fortune: A massive $517.2 million in unvested share awards, essentially “future stock” that turns into real money the moment the ink dries on the merger.
Perhaps the most eye-catching figure is the $335 million earmarked for tax reimbursements. However, this particular pot of gold has an expiration date.
The company noted that these reimbursements are tied to specific tax-code rules that significantly decline as time passes. If the deal hits a snag and drags into 2027, that tax payout drops to zero. With hundreds of millions on the line, the chief executive officer likely has every incentive to ensure the closing process moves at double-speed.
