At least four trojan-led projects won Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday at the nearby Shrine Auditorium, including “Shogun” and “Anora,” rounding out an impressive awards season for USC. Trojan projects were nominated six times yesterday night, further cementing the trojan network’s ubiquity in the film industry.
One standout trojan nomination was USC School of Dramatic Arts (SDA) Faculty Member Colman Domingo, who was nominated in the Male Actor in a Leading Role category for “Sing Sing.” Domingo, an award-winning actor and director, joined the SDA faculty in 2021 as a guest lecturer. Domingo juggled working on “Drive Away Dolls,” “The Color Purple,” “Rustin” and “Candyman” all while teaching at USC.
“We are thrilled for Colman Domingo’s nomination. Colman is the consummate multihyphenate, and though his many film roles (alongside his producing, writing, and directing responsibilities) have necessitated him taking a break from his work at the School of Dramatic Arts, he continues to express his desire to teach for SDA in the future. And we can’t wait to welcome him back.” wrote SDA Dean Emily Roxworthy.
The SAG Awards differ from other traditional award shows because voters are members of SAG-AFTRA: professional actors who pay dues and have worked in film and TV. Trojan alumni make up an essential part of the film industry in Los Angeles, and SAG-AFTRA specifically. In fact, National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland was previously an adjunct professor at USC Gould School of Law, Chief Financial Officer Arianna Ozzanto earned her bachelor’s degree in economics and currently holds a position on the Board of Economics Leadership Council, and lastly, the board member Lang Frederickson is a Marshall School of Business Graduate.
“Shogun” won three awards: Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a Drama Series, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for Anna Sawai’s portrayal of Lady Mariko, and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for Hiroyuki Sanada’s portrayal of Lord Yoshii Toranaga. Two USC alumni were producers on all ten episodes of “Shogun:” Geraud Brisson, a graduate with an MFA in cinematography and film production, and Eriko Miyagawa, a graduate of the film production masters program.
Aisha Muharrar, a graduate of SCA’s screen and television graduate program, is an executive producer for the nominated television show “Hacks. “Hacks” was nominated for two awards last night: Best Actress in a Comedy Series and Best Comedy Series Ensemble. Episode 8 of the latest season was filmed on USC’s campus as a stand-in for the University of California Berkeley campus.
“Anora” was one of the night’s front-running nominees for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Executive Producer Alex Coco graduated in 2016 from USC with an MFA in cinematic arts, film and television production.
Matteo Borghese and Rob Turvosky are co-executive producers and writers of the Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building,” which took home Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. Borghese and Turvosky both received MFAs in screenwriting at USC.
SDA alum and Board of Councilors member Todd Black helped bring “The Piano Lesson” to Netflix as an executive producer alongside Denzel Washington. “The Piano Lesson” was nominated in the Female Actor In a Supporting Role category, but lost to Zoe Saldaña for her role in Emilia Perez.
“Bridgerton” was also nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. “Bridgerton” was brought to life by Executive Producer Shonda Rhimes, who graduated with an MFA in screenwriting from SCA in 1994.
Greg Yaitanes, an SCA alum, served as co-executive producer and director for “House of the Dragon,” which was nominated for the Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series award.
“Conclave” won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture on Sunday, after winning Outstanding Film Adaptation at the USC Scripter Awards on Saturday the 22. The USC Scripter Awards recognize writers who successfully adapt books for the screen, and are seen by many as a marker for who will win the SAG Awards. Spike Lee’s “BlacKKKlansman” and Sian Heder’s “CODA” are the only films to win an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, without receiving a USC Scripter nomination.
Nominations for the USC Scripter Awards included “A Complete Unknown,” “Nickel Boys,” “Sing Sing” and “The Wild Robot” on the film side, and “Baby Reindeer,” “Ripley,” “Say Nothing,” “Shōgun” and “Slow Horses” on the TV side, according to Variety Magazine.
Of the awards mentioned above, “Baby Reindeer,” “Shogun” and “A Complete Unknown” all received SAG Awards.
The Shrine Auditorium has hosted the SAG Awards every year since their inception, except 2022 and 2023 when the show was pre-recorded due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Located across the street from USC’s main campus, this historical venue originally opened in 1929 and has hosted prestigious events like the Academy Awards and the Grammys.
This past year, the Shine celebrated its 100th anniversary by undergoing renovations. According to the L.A. Times, the old underground dressing rooms have been turned into a VIP speakeasy bar and the entire facade of the building has been touched up.
The renovations are just in time for the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism’s graduation ceremony, which will be held at the venue this year.