Screen Actors Guild Honors Film and Television Stunt Ensembles

Yale Summers, chair of the Screen Actors Guild Awards Committee, announced earlier this week that the Screen Actors Guild will honor outstanding performances from both film and television stunt ensembles.

The honorees for the awards will be announced on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2008 before the 14^th Annual Screen Actors Guild Award ceremonies air live.

The awards commend exceptional work within the stunt community and recognize stunt performers and coordinators for both their talents and creativity.

Each Screen Actors Guild Awards film and television nominating committee, composed of 2,100 members from across the United States, will nominate the best performances for a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture and a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series.

Stunt ensemble performances up for consideration in the upcoming awards ceremony may be submitted from July 16 through Oct. 30. Meanwhile, nominations will be handed out with nominations for the 14^th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Dec. 20 in Los Angeles.

Once the nominations have been released, each active member of the Guild will have the opportunity to vote on the web or paper ballot for the most worthy stunt ensemble until balloting closes Jan. 25, 2008.

Established in 1933, the Screen Actors Guild is the country's largest labor union representing working actors and actresses.

From the constant battles with studios in the 1940s to break long-term engagement contracts to fighting for artists' rights in the 21^st century during a time of digital revolution within the entertainment industry, the Screen Actors Guild has a rich history amidst the American labor movement.

In fact, as the Mission Statement explains that the Screen Actors Guild represents its members through "negotiation and enforcement of collective bargaining agreements that establish equitable levels of compensation, benefits, and working conditions for performers" and "the collection of compensation for exploitation of their recorded performances and protection against unauthorized use" as well as "the preservation and expansion of work opportunities."

Now with 20 branches throughout the United States, the Guild represents almost 120,000 working actors in all sorts of mediums, from film, television and commercials to video games, music videos and other new media.

With a national board of directors led by President Alan Rosenberg, the Screen Actors Guild remains committed to enhancing actors' working conditions, salaries and benefits, serving as a strong, unified voice for the stars of Hollywood.

A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO and associated with the Associated Actors and Artistes of America (AAAA), the Screen Actors Guild is headquartered in Los Angeles.