British and Irish Talent Shines at 2026 Actor Awards
Jessie Buckley headlines British and Irish stars on the red carpet at the 2026 Actor Awards in Los Angeles. The 36-year-old Hamnet actress, fresh from Golden Globe and Critics Choice wins, competes for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. She dazzles in a black-and-white Balenciaga gown at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall.
Aimee Lou Wood, 32, from Manchester, captivates in a bespoke baby blue chiffon off-the-shoulder Versace dress paired with Jimmy Choo sandals. Nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, her series White Lotus vies for Best Ensemble.
Erin Doherty, 33, glows in a custom Louis Vuitton pale pink satin structured dress and matching heels. She contends for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie for her role in Netflix’s Adolescence.
Emily Watson, 59, exudes elegance in a blue gown with a cape-like cascade over the shoulders.
Other Standout Arrivals
Mia Goth, 32, makes her first red carpet appearance since estranged husband Shia LaBeouf’s second battery arrest within 10 days. LaBeouf faces charges from a Mardi Gras bar fight, requiring rehab and drug testing after posting $100,000 bond. Goth shines in an embellished dress with a ruffled train.
Wunmi Mosaku, 39, nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Sinners, stuns in a custom Louis Vuitton red gown and Messika jewelry.
Paul Mescal, 30, sports an oversized double-breasted blazer and tie shirt, nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Hamnet. Damson Idris, 34, arrives in pinstripes. Rufus Sewell poses with wife Vivian Benitez.
Coronation Street’s Katy Cavanagh, 52, joins son Jacobi Jupe, 12, from Hamnet. She wears a black sequinned gown with emerald earrings and red lip; he dons a gold sequinned blazer.
Film Nominations Lead the Pack
One Battle After Another tops film nods with seven, followed by Sinners with five. Leading male actor race features Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), and Jesse Plemons (Bugonia).
Leading female contenders include Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), and Emma Stone (Bugonia).
Supporting male: Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn (One Battle After Another), Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), Paul Mescal (Hamnet), Miles Caton (Sinners).
Supporting female: Odessa A’Zion (Marty Supreme), Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good), Amy Madigan (Weapons), Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another).
Cast nominees: Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sinners.
Television Contenders Heat Up
Comedy ensemble: The Studio, Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Only Murders in the Building.
Drama ensemble: The White Lotus, Severance, The Diplomat, The Pitt, Landman.
Drama males: Sterling K. Brown (Paradise), Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Walton Goggins (The White Lotus), Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Noah Wyle (The Pitt).
Drama females: Britt Lower (Severance), Parker Posey (The White Lotus), Keri Russell (The Diplomat), Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus), Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus).
Limited series females: Claire Danes (The Beast in Me), Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco (Adolescence), Sarah Snook (All Her Fault), Michelle Williams (Dying for Sex).
Limited series males: Jason Bateman (Black Rabbit), Owen Cooper and Stephen Graham (Adolescence), Charlie Hunnam (Monster: The Ed Gein Story), Matthew Rhys (The Beast in Me).
Snubs and Surprises
Cynthia Erivo’s omission from Wicked: For Good sparks debate, alongside absences of Gwyneth Paltrow and Dwayne Johnson. Limited international nods draw criticism. Surprises include Odessa A’Zion and Wunmi Mosaku’s supporting recognition.
Special Honors
Harrison Ford receives the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award. “I am deeply honored to be chosen as this year’s recipient of the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award,” Ford said. “To be acknowledged by my fellow actors means a great deal to me. I’ve spent most of my life on film sets, working alongside incredible actors and crews, and I’ve always felt grateful to be part of this community.”
Yerin Ha from Bridgerton serves as Ambassador. “Being named The Actor Awards Ambassador is such an honor because this ceremony is about actors celebrating actors,” Ha stated. “There is something uniquely powerful about being recognized within your own community. As someone who cares so deeply about the craft and about collaboration, it means so much to represent the next generation of actors and be part of an event that uplifts storytelling.”
The ceremony streams live on Netflix across 28 categories.
