WFSB Channel 3SAG Awards: 'The Help,' 'Modern Family' lead nominations

Of the nominees for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, which is your favorite?

Thank you for participating in our poll. Here are the results so far:

'The Artist'
0%
'Bridesmaids'
22%
'The Descendants'
5%
' The Help'
70%
'Midnight in Paris'
3%

SAG Awards: 'The Help,' 'Modern Family' lead nominations

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By Joseph Neese - email
Actresses Judy Greer and Regina King announce the SAG Award nominees for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture. (Source: CNN) Actresses Judy Greer and Regina King announce the SAG Award nominees for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture. (Source: CNN)

(RNN) - The Help and Modern Family led nominees in film and television when the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced Wednesday.

Of the year's major accolades, the SAG Awards are especially important to actors, as they are selected exclusively by their peers in the Screen Actors Guild.

The empowering tale of a writer who documents the racism a group of maids face in 1960's Jackson MS, The Help was nominated for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture.

As expected, likely Oscar nominees Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer garnered nominations for their roles as strong-willed maids Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson.

In the best supporting actress category, newcomer Jessica Chastain managed to edge out other Oscar contenders, including Vanessa Redgrave and Shailene Woodley, to secure a nomination alongside her Help costar Spencer.

While Chastain has racked up accolades from the New York Film Critics Circle and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, her awards have been given for the large body of work she released this year, including Coriolanus, The Debt, Take Shelter, Texas Killing Fields and The Tree of Life.

But after also scoring a nomination for The Help from the Broadcast Film Critics' Association yesterday, a single role - Celia Foote - has been singled out, and Chastain could now have enough momentum to join this year's Oscar race.

All eyes Wednesday morning were waiting to see if Hugo's name would be called by announcers and actresses Judy Greer and Regina King. The film, which has gained incredible momentum against perceived Academy Award frontrunner The Artist, received no nominations - a likely sign it won't emerge victorious on Oscar night, according to Entertainment Weekly's Dave Karger.

"No film in the last 15 years has won best picture without at least scoring a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for best cast," Karger wrote on EW.com.

On the TV side, Modern Family, last year's winner for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series, led all TV shows with an impressive five nominations.

Damages' Glenn Close will celebrate the night as a nominee in both TV and film, after also scoring a nomination for her performance in Albert Nobbs.

The SAG Awards will be simulcast live on TBS and TNT on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. ET from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

Here is a list of nominees in major categories:

Outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture

The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
Midnight in Paris

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role

Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series

Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Dexter
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife

Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series

30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office

For a complete list of nominees, click here.

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