In February 2025, the then-SAG Awards were a huge success for the SAG-AFTRA union and Netflix, which partnered with the ceremony for the first time on a live stream across the global platform. Kristen Bell hosted the ceremony and had viewers eating out her hand with the opening number, a play on Frozen’s “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” in which she asked, “do you want to be an actor?” and played moments from the early years of the A-listers in the room.
The rest of the show was a smash, with a speech by Jane Fonda that left the room cheering, a Gossip Girl reunion between Kristen and Leighton Meester, and Timothee Chalamet’s very honest acceptance speech.
So how will the team top it this year? For starters, the ceremony has a new name – The Actor Awards, a decision that came to better reflect the ceremony’s “true spirit and position as the only industry honor given to actors, by actors”.
HELLO! spoke to Jon Brockett, the showrunner and Executive Producer of the ceremony, who spilled the beans on the decision to give guests a red carpet theme a la the Met Gala, how it was a no-brainer to bring back Kristen as the host, and how they ceremony will use 2026’s hottest Hollywood heartthrob, Connor Storrie.
“Kristen’s that perfect combination of heart and humor and fits our vibe so well. I couldn’t ask for a better host for this show.”
Kristen’s “original song”
Kristen is returning for the third time as host, and the second year in a row. Discussions between Kristen and the team at SAG-AFTRA began in the immediate weeks after the 2025 ceremony, and she has been involved in the creative process of the opening monologue again.
“Kristen knocked it out of the park [in 2025], she is so extraordinary,” said Jon. “I think she fits us so well; she’s that perfect combination of heart and humor and fits our vibe so well. I couldn’t ask for a better host for this show.”
He added: “This year, I will tease that she will be doing another opening song because it’s Kristen and we have this triple threat – why would we not use that? – so she’ll be doing a song, and it will be an original piece.
“We definitely went into this going, ‘Oh my God, how can we top last year’s?’ I think we’ve done it.”
© Getty ImagesHow to make a viral moment
Viral moments only work because they’re organic, a fact Jon is very aware of; think of the 2026 Golden Globes and the moment you’ll probably most remember is Leonardo DiCaprio’s hilarious moment as he mimed to someone off-camera and which was only caught backstage by press and not on the telecast.
“I’m meant to make the best show possible, that’s my goal and my priority, but do we have 15 cameras in that room catching almost everything that we can at all given times? Yes,” said Jon.
“Coverage is key. But we’re not necessarily cherry picking moments that we think will go viral because then that doesn’t feel organic. You want the viral and fun moments to be authentic.”
Met Gala comparisons
SAG-AFTRA confirmed in January that they had partnered with ELLE Magazine who set the official fashion theme for the red carpet as Reimagining Hollywood Glamour From the ‘20s and ‘30s.
This era was defined by luxury fabrics and dramatic silhouettes, with the 1920s aesthetic for women introducing shorter hemlines, fringe, and intricate beadwork, inspired by Art Deco. The Flapper trend was also popularized in this decade, but the 1930s saw the return of floor-length gowns for evening wear in satin or silk, often with bias cuts and drapery.
“It is a full circle opportunity for us to bring in a lot of focus on the fashion of the show which we’ve been into for a long time,” said Jon, who insisted that it is not a dress code, but instead a chance for the talent and guests to embrace “whimsy, fun, old Hollywood, and what reinvention means to them”.
© Getty Images
© Getty ImagesJon also dismisses concerns that the organization is placing a bigger focus on the fashion over the acting: “The two hours of our show is dedicated to acknowledging, recognizing, and celebrating the talent that’s in the room so I think a little fun with the theme is only another added bonus.”
Old Hollywood design
The theme has also bled over to the production design of the red carpet and interiors, with Jon sharing that this year’s inspiration came from his own 1932 art deco home in Los Angeles.
“What I love about it is this mix of linear and curvature architecture and a lot of light, and that became an inspiration when putting together the mood board for the overall design theme,” he shared. “We try to take this through from top to tail, so from the arrivals area to the red carpet to the pre-reception area to the showroom and the gala. It’s really a through line of a design team all the way through.”
Connor’s heated moment
The big star of the moment is Connor Storrie, who hosted the 2026 Actor Awards nominations alongside Janelle James, and whom Jon calls “a dream to work with”.
“Connor’s been a dream to work with… he’s so much fun, and he’ll be on SNL – and so we’re looking forward to playing around with that a little bit.”
Heated Rivalry star Connor will be in attendance, despite hosting Saturday Night Live in New York City less than 24 hours earlier, and Jon is very aware of the cultural relevance Connor has and the opportunity the ceremony has to use the actor.
“I’m not going to lie, we will be using him on the show,” he laughed. “Connor’s been a dream to work with. He was great at nominations, he’s so much fun, and he’ll be on SNL – and so we’re looking forward to playing around with that a little bit.”
© Getty ImagesAwards shows as escapism — and free speech
“The award show to me is escapism,” says Jon. “There’s a lot going on in the world right now, and this show is hopefully a way for people to watch and forget about what’s going on for a little while.”
But what does that mean for guests who may want to use their time on stage make a political statement? “Free speech is a huge part of us, from the country and the union to the show,” he stated.
“We won’t be censoring anybody on stage by any means in terms of their political beliefs or what they want to talk about. That’s our philosophy from the jump.”
The ceremony will air almost live on Netflix with a “safety measure in place,” says Jon.
Harrison Ford’s speech
© Getty ImagesHarrison Ford has been named as this year’s recipient of SAG-AFTRA’s highest honor: the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award for his career and humanitarian accomplishments. The Star Wars and Indiana Jones actor, who has also been Emmy-nominated for his work on Apple TV’s comedy Shrinking, said he was “deeply honored to be chosen” and acknowledged that the honor, which was chosen by his peers, “means a great deal”.
Jon shared that because the show streams on Netflix they can be a little less concerned with the length of acceptance speeches but “where Harrison’s concerned, there’s not really a time limit”.
“We’ll work with him on his speech and what he wants to say, and what he will want to do would be to strike a balance for those in the room – that is his community of actors – and those at home,” said Jon.
The 32nd Annual Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA will Stream Live on Netflix on Sunday, March 1, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
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