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
Disney chair confident CEO Josh D’Amaro will ‘rise to the occasion’ in Trump–Kimmel row
Board backs new chief as ABC controversy tests leadership early on
NEW YORK: The Walt Disney Company has placed the responsibility of handling the escalating dispute between Donald Trump and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel squarely on its new chief executive, Josh D’Amaro.
Speaking at a business conference in Oslo, Disney chair James Gorman said it would be up to the CEO and his team to determine the company’s response to the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He noted that such challenges are not uncommon for large corporations and require careful handling at the leadership level.
The row intensified after both Donald Trump and Melania Trump publicly called for Kimmel’s dismissal following remarks made on his show. The comments, which referenced the First Lady, sparked backlash in the days leading up to a security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Kimmel addressed the issue on-air, clarifying that his joke was intended as a reference to the couple’s age difference and not an incitement to violence. He also expressed sympathy for those affected by the incident and reiterated his stance against violent rhetoric.
Despite mounting pressure, Gorman refrained from offering specific guidance on the future of the show or the host. Instead, he voiced confidence in D’Amaro’s leadership, describing him as “world class” and capable of navigating the situation effectively.
The episode presents an early and high-profile test for D’Amaro, who stepped into the top role just last month. How Disney balances editorial independence, public sentiment and political pressure will likely shape not just the outcome of this controversy, but also the tone of its leadership in the months ahead.
