Sean Astin, President of SAG-AFTRA, addressed why the Actor Awards, formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, underwent a name change. He emphasized that many recipients of the honor were unaware that the trophy itself is called the Actor. Although presenters have traditionally introduced winners with the phrase, “The Actor goes to…,” Astin believes renaming the awards helps clarify their meaning to a broader audience, especially international viewers.
Explaining the Award’s Identity and the Union Merger
In a discussion with Entertainment Tonight, Astin stressed that recipients often don’t know the official title of the statuette despite hearing it announced for decades.
“But if they go back to the moment right before their name was announced, the presenters say, ‘The Actor goes to…’ and they’ve said that for 30 years. So you’re receiving the Actor award,”
he explained. Astin added that renaming the awards was also influenced by the SAG and AFTRA merger, noting the previous use of the “SAG Awards” name felt inconsistent with the unified organization.
“And then we had a merged union. SAG and AFTRA merged, and it was weird to me that you had the SAG Awards, even though I loved the SAG Awards. It was like, are we a merged union or not? So, ‘The Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA’ completes the thought in my mind. It’s the right thing to do,”
he said.
The Timing and Impact of the Name Change
The decision to rename the awards had been considered for some time, but the growing international reach of the ceremony, partly through platforms like Netflix, accelerated the change. Organizers believed a clearer, more descriptive name would help audiences worldwide better understand the awards’ purpose. Despite the rebranding, the ceremony’s core mission remains unchanged: honoring actors by their peers. The official communication emphasized,
“The legacy and prestige [remain] exactly the same. We’re excited to evolve the name to further support who we are and the future growth of the show,”
highlighting that the tradition will continue even as the presentation evolves.
What the Name Change Means Going Forward
The renaming of the Actor Awards signals a deliberate effort to align the ceremony’s identity with its organizational structure and global audience. By shifting away from an abbreviation tied to a historical union name, the awards aim to be more inclusive and understandable internationally. Sean Astin’s perspective as SAG-AFTRA President underscores the balance between respecting tradition and embracing change to ensure the awards remain relevant in the evolving entertainment landscape.
