Screen Actors Guild Honors Outstanding Film And Television Performances at the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 25, 2009) - Screen Actors Guild presented its coveted Actor® statuette for the outstanding motion picture and primetime television performances of 2008 at the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® in ceremonies attended by film and television’s leading actors, held Sunday, Jan. 25, at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. The 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® was simulcast by TNT and TBS at 8 p.m., ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT and 6 p.m. MT

The honorees were selected by the approximately 100,000 active members of the Screen Actors Guild nationwide.

Forest Whitaker presented James Earl Jones with Screen Actors Guild’s highest honor, the 45th Annual Life Achievement Award, following a filmed tribute.
Honored with individual awards were Heath Ledger, Sean Penn, Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet for performances in motion pictures and Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Sally Field, Paul Giamatti, Hugh Laurie and Laura Linney for performances in television. Screen Actors Guild originated awards for the outstanding performances by a motion picture cast and by television comedy and drama ensembles. The Actor® for a motion picture cast performance went this year to “Slumdog Millionaire”, while the Actors® for television comedy and drama ensemble performances went this year to “30 Rock” and “Mad Men”. Screen Actors Guild’s honors for outstanding performances by a stunt ensemble in film and television were awarded to “The Dark Knight” and “Heroes”.

Evan Rachel Wood introduced a filmed salute to performances that were ‘Trailblazers’ either in their casting or subject matter.

PEOPLE magazine and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) hosted the Screen Actors Guild Post-Awards Gala for 13th year. This exclusive event honors the philanthropic causes and good works of the members of the Screen Actors Guild. The gala, benefiting the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, immediately followed the SAG Awards on the back lot of the Shrine Exposition Center.

The 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards is a presentation of Jeff Margolis Productions in association with Screen Actors Guild Awards®, LLC. Jeff Margolis is the executive producer and director.  Kathy Connell is the producer. JoBeth Williams, Daryl Anderson, Shelley Fabares, Paul Napier and Yale Summers are producers for SAG. Gloria Fujita O’Brien and Mick McCullough are supervising producers. Stephen Pouliot is the writer.  Benn Fleishman is executive in charge of production.

The complete list of recipients of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® follows.
Next year’s 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be simulcast on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010 on TNT and TBS from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

NOTE TO MEDIA: A downloadable version of this announcement is available to you online at www.sagawards.org.

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