Why Actor Awards Name Was Changed Addressed by SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin

Sean Astin, President of SAG-AFTRA, was recently asked why the Actor Awards, previously known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards, were renamed. He explained that most people who have been bestowed with the honor have no idea what the statuette is called, which is the “Actor.” While presenters have consistently said, “The Actor goes to…” over the years, he believed that altering the name could give people a clearer understanding of what the award represents.

Sean Astin talks about Actor Awards’ name change

In a conversation with Entertainment Tonight, Astin explained that the statuette is called the “Actor.” However, he revealed that individuals who have been bestowed with the honor don’t know the trophy’s name. “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 elaborated.

Astin believes that renaming the awards would make it easier for international audiences to understand what the awards are called and what they represent.

He added, “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.”

According to the website, the renaming of the awards ceremony had been in the works for a long time. However, now that the event’s global reach has expanded through Netflix, organizers believed it was the right time to alter the name for better understanding and to embark on a new era.

It clarified that the name modification does not change the show’s foundation, as it remains the same: actors honoring actors. “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,” the site further stated, referring to the impact of the name change on the show’s legacy.

Source: Comingsoon.net