Hashtag, diversity. The SAG Awards 2016 stood out in stark contrast to the Oscars nominations on Saturday, January 30, with numerous previously unrecognized actors taking home the hardware — and Twitter, in turn, took notice.
The hashtag “SAGSoBlack” started to trend on Saturday shortly after Uzo Aduba, Idris Elba, Viola Davis and Queen Latifah began to rack in the awards.
?? @idriselba had double vision last night! Congrats on winning TWO best actor #SAGAwards!!! #SAGsoBlack ? pic.twitter.com/CEZlNAAfrY
— BET (@BET) January 31, 2016
This is what an award show is supposed to look like! Loving every minute of the #sagawards #SAGSoBlack
— Brick Jackson (@TheBrickJackson) January 31, 2016
I’m getting the feeling that the #SAGAwards is the ultimate anti-#Oscar #SAGsoBlack #UzoAduba #QueenLatifa #IdrisElba
— Ayo (@ayo_det) January 31, 2016
Guess the @SAGawards was scared to feel the #OscarsSoWhite backlash. #sagsoblack
— Jason Smith (@JasonSmith116) January 31, 2016
Elba, 43, took home two major wins: for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries for his starring role in Luther and for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Beasts of No Nation.
When he returned to the stage a third time to introduce Beasts with his young costar Abraham Attah, he took the opportunity to get a not-so-subtle dig in against the ongoing #OscarsSoWhite controversy.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to diverse TV,” he said by way of introduction.
Aduba, who took home two major awards — for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series and, as one part of a huge cast in Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy series, for Orange Is the New Black — was overwhelmed upon winning.
“Oh my gosh,” she said as she accepted her award, noting that the show features characters that represent “so many people.” “It’s truly touching.”
Other big wins for the night included Davis, for her starring role in How To Get Away With Murder, and Latifah, for her part in the Bessie Smith biopic Bessie.
“I am in shock right now,” Latifah said. “I’m really just very grateful. … I hope that anyone out there who does not come in the package that people say you should, keep fighting for it. Flip those rocks over. Keep pushing, keep turning. You can do it. You build your own boxes, not people. So knock that thing away and do you!”
