The 27th Annual SAG Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, April 4th, 2021.

As I have been doing for a few years, as we get into the awards season, I’ll post the fictional ballots for some of the guild awards, showing what my vote would be if I had one. I will, as a rule, abstain from my fictional vote if I haven’t seen at least half of the nominees. And to be perfectly clear, I’m not a member of any of these guilds and organizations.

The list of nominees can be seen here.

Here it goes:

Best Stunt Ensemble: Mulan

The wuxia fighting sequences are solid enough to rise the stunt work of this film above the other nominees.

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Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Helena Zengel (Johanna in News of the World)

Young Helena Zengel matches her co-star note for note, creating a long-suffering but deeply smart character. (Not seen the nominated performances of Olivia Colman in The Father, Youn Yuh-Jung in Minari.)

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Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Daniel Kaluuya (Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah)

Daniel Kaluuya displays quite some presence in this generally well-acted film, showcasing the character’s charisma and intelligence. (Not seen the nominated performance of Jared Leto in The Little Things.)

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Best Female Actor in a Leading Role: Viola Davis (Ma Rainey in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)

Ma Rainey is an interesting character: she fought tooth-and-nails to get where she is, so she will do everything to protect her achievements. Viola Davis projects her anger, defiance, and talent with outstanding effectiveness. (Not seen the nominated performance of Frances McDormand in Nomadland.)

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Best Male Actor in a Leading Role: Chadwick Boseman (Levee in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)

Boseman, in what turned out to be his last screen role, delivered a ferociously emotional performance as a talented but deeply broken man. (Not seen the nominated performances of Anthony Hopkins in The Father, Steven Yeun in Minari.)

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Best Cast: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

The two headliners of this film were essentially unequaled this year, but they are supported by a number of performers that are all very good, as well. The dialogue is not the easiest, but the cast’s reading of the emotionally charged lines is excellent, convincing. (Not seen: Minari.)