The Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations

The Screen Actors Guild, also known as SAG, announced their nominees for the 13th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. The nominations were announced by Sandra Oh (Grey's Anatomy) and Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings) on January 4, 2007 at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards are nominated and voted on by card carrying SAG members. Many actors find this award to be of special significance because it is judged by their fellow peers who truly understand the craft and experience of acting. This awards show, like the Golden Globes, recognizes exceptional performances in both television and film.

This year's nominees were comprised of both old veterans like Tony Shalhoub (nominated 3 times for his role on Monk with 3 wins) and newcomers like American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls). Then there are the young ones who are actually old pros such as little Abigail Breslin who is up for the best supporting actress in a feature for her portrayal in Little Miss Sunshine and America Ferrera, better known as Ugly Betty. But the majority of this year's nominations went to amazingly, well respected actors who are no strangers to the awards show circuit.

Hollywood golden boy and Scorcese favorite Leonardo DiCaprio is up for two awards, Best Actor in a feature film for Blood Diamond and Best Supporting Actor for The Departed. His Blood Diamond co-star, Dijomin Hounson is running against him in the Best Supporting Actor category. Also in the gripping drama thriller Blood Diamond, renowned actress Cate Blancett is nominated for Note On A Scandal.

The Best Actress in a feature film went to: Penelope Cruz for Volver, Judi Dench for Notes On A Scandal, Helen Mirren for The Queen, Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada and Kate Winslet for Little Children.

On the television side the Best Actor and Best Actress categories are comprised mainly of people who have been in this position before. For a drama series James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), Hugh Laurie (House), James Spader (Boston Legal), Kiefer Sutherland (24) and newbie Michael C. Hall (Dexter). The female side is comprised of Patricia Arquette (Medium), Edie Falco (The Sopranos), Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer), and Chandra Wilson (Grey's Anatomy). The comedy category was filled by Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Steve Carell (The Office), Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl), Jeremy Piven (Entourage), and Tony Shalhoub (Monk). American Ferrera (Ugly Betty), Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives), Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (The New Adventures of Old Christine), Megan Mull ally (Will and Grace), Mary-Louis Parker (Weeds), and Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl) round out the female nominations.

The SAG awards are sometimes looked at as a prelude to the Academy Award nominations for the acting awards. The awards ceremony takes place on January 28, 2007 at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. To watch the ceremony tune into TNT or TBS on January 28th at 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT or 6 p.m. M.T.