The annual awards ceremony long known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards will take on a new identity beginning in 2026. SAG-AFTRA announced that the show will now be called The Actor Awards, a rebranding intended to align the ceremony’s name with its signature trophy, known since the event’s inception simply as The Actor.
The annual broadcast, which honors outstanding performances in film and television, has been a fixture of Hollywood’s awards season since it was first held in 1995. The new name is designed to clarify the show’s purpose for audiences at home and abroad, replacing an acronym that often required explanation for casual viewers and international markets.
Organizers say the switch will not alter the substance of the ceremony. The categories, nomination process, and voting structure remain the same, and the broadcast will continue its partnership with Netflix. Past references to the “SAG Awards” will still exist in the show’s history, but all official materials going forward will adopt the new branding.
Industry watchers believe this repositioning could streamline the program’s global identity and strengthen its visibility in a crowded awards landscape. As studios, marketers, and talent begin preparing for the next campaign cycle, they will shift their materials to reflect the updated title — a modest but symbolically significant step for a ceremony that has become one of Hollywood’s most reliable barometers of acting achievement.
When the curtain rises next March, the entertainment community will retire the long-familiar SAG Awards name and welcome The Actor Awards as the new banner under which performers honor one another.
