‘Three Billboards’ tops SAG nominations

In nominations announced Wednesday, the 24th Screen Actors Guild Awards heartily endorsed the Frances McDormand-led revenge drama “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,’’ offered swift redemption for the Golden Globes-overlooked romantic comedy “The Big Sick’’ and left many Oscar favourites empty handed.

Martin McDonaugh’s “Three Billboards’’ led all films with four nominations, including best ensemble, and acting nods for McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson.

That adds to the movie’s strong awards portfolio, including six Golden Globes nods and the often predictive audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The other nominees for best ensemble were: Greta Gerwig’s mother-daughter tale “Lady Bird,’’ Jordan Peele’s horror hit “Get Out,’’ Dee Rees’ Jim Crowe-era drama “Mudbound’’ and “The Big Sick,’’ which was shut out Monday by the Golden Globes.

In the television categories, HBO’s California murder mystery “Big Little Lies’’ dominated as expected with five nominations, including best ensemble. Netflix’s “Stranger Things’’ and “GLOW’’ fared well, with four nods apiece. The steaming service led all networks with 19 total nominations.

As one of the steadiest bellwethers of the Academy Awards, the SAG Awards have considerable sway over the Oscar race.

Actors make up the largest branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, though the guild’s ranks are much larger. Only about 1,000 of their 160,000 members are in the film academy.

Last year, “Hidden Figures’’ upset eventual Oscar-winner “Moonlight’’ as well as “Manchester by the Sea’’ for the SAG Awards’ best ensemble. But it’s been 22 years since a film that wasn’t at least nominated for best ensemble at the SAG Awards won best picture at the Oscars.