The Help Is The Big Winner At The SAG Awards

The 2011 awards season is almost at an end. The Academy Awards are now less than a month away, set to air on February 26th, but there are still more guild awards that need to happen before then. Tonight, for example, was the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which delivers awards to films based on their individual performances as well as their ensemble casts. Now the show has come to a close and the awards have been handed out. And the big winner is...

The Help. Though there are only five movie categories (the show also covers outstanding work in television), the Tate Taylor-directed film took home a grand total of three awards. While many anticipated wins in Best Ensemble and Best Supporting Actress, the big surprise of the evening was Viola Davis's turn beating out Meryl Streep's performance in The Iron Lady. The full list of nominees and winners is below, with the winners marked in bold.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
Midnight in Paris

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Demian Bichir – A Better Life
George Clooney – The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar
Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Brad Pitt – Moneyball

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis – The Help
Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton – We Need To Talk About Kevin
Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn
Armie Hammer – J. Edgar
Jonah Hill – Moneyball
Nick Nolte – Warrior
Christopher Plummer – Beginners

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Berenice Bejo – The Artist
Jessica Chastain – The Help
Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer – The Help

Our very own Katey Rich will be around tomorrow morning for her analysis of these winners and losers and how they will change the awards race. To read more about it, check out other issues of her Oscar Eye column.