SAG Awards’ Split Drama Vote Sets Up a ‘Succession’ vs. ‘Squid Game’ Cage Match as Emmy Season Begins

variety.com:

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeSAG Awards voters split their drama votes on Sunday night, honoring HBO’s “Succession” with an overdue ensemble win (the show’s first SAG award, period!) while recognizing two of the stars of Netflix’s “Squid Game” with individual prizes.“Squid Game” was recognized for male actor (Lee Jung-Jae), female actor (Jung Ho-yeon) and stunt ensemble. “Squid Game” benefited from SAG’s large voting body, many of whom likely caught the thriller when it became a must-watch global ensemble last fall.Think about being one of the some 150,000 or so SAG-AFTRA members and having a SAG Awards ballot in front of you — and the opportunity to make history with a few clicks.

It’s exhilarating — and this year, voters couldn’t resist the allure of breaking new ground with “Squid Game.” I had the sense early on in the evening that SAG voters were in a history-making mood, when on the film side, “CODA” star Troy Katsur and “West Side Story” star Ariana DeBose won the first two awards of the night.

Katsur became the first deaf actor to win an individual prize at the SAG Awards, followed immediately by a big win for representation with DeBose, the first Latina and Queer woman of color to win.“Squid Game” had already scored the first non-English series to be nominated for a SAG Award, which now becomes the first to also win one, via its two stars.Of course, that led me to get a bit overwhelmed with my predictions, and after the two actors’ win, I brazenly went on Twitter and proclaimed a sweep was in the making.