SAG Dates 2020 Award Show for Two Weeks Before Oscars

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The SAG Awards have staked out Jan. 26, 2020, as the date for its 26th annual ceremonies, claiming a date that’s two weeks before the Academy Awards.

The made the announcement Monday afternoon after news broke that the Producers Guild of America will claim Jan. 18, 2020, as the date for its 31st annual Producers Guild Awards.

The guild awards announcements came less than three weeks after leaders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences moved the 2020 Oscars forward two weeks to Feb. 9. Variety reported on Aug. 8 that the AMPAS announcement — which included the creation of a controversial best popular film category and limiting the telecast to three hours — came in response to declining ratings and concerns that viewers had become fatigued by the ever-increasing number of televised awards shows.

The SAG Awards took place on Jan. 21 this year. It announced in February  that it had staked out Jan. 27, 2019, for its next show. Nominations will be announced on Dec. 12.

The awards are selected by members of SAG-AFTRA, which numbered 121,544 eligible voters this year. This year’s ceremony featured its first-ever host, Kristen Bell. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”  was the big film winner with trophies for best ensemble cast, best actress for Frances McDormand, and best supporting actor for Sam Rockwell. On the TV side, “This Is Us,” “Big Little Lies,” and “Veep” emerged victorious with two wins each.