Kristen Bell’s introduction at the 2026 Actor Awards left Hollywood’s elite both surprised and bemused as it unexpectedly evolved into a musical performance many deemed ‘cringe-worthy.’

The 45-year-old actress made her third appearance as host for the annual event, which was previously known as the SAG Awards, this past Sunday evening.

Sporting a tuxedo, Bell welcomed the crowd filled with celebrities and soon addressed the contentious ‘rebranding’ of the Actor Awards.

“This year, our show got a bit of a facelift, something many here can relate to,” Bell remarked, taking a playful jab at Hollywood’s fixation with plastic surgery.

“We trimmed away the SAG, and now we’re simply the Actor Awards,” she quipped.

Following the rebranding discussion, Bell mused about how many renowned stars have opted to abandon their birth names in favor of stage names throughout the years.

This is when Bell suddenly burst into song as she called out Marilyn Monroe, Emma Stone, Vin Diesel and more who use stage names while accompanied by a trio of backup singers and a band.

Kristen Bell’s opening monologue at the 2026 Actor Awards left A-listers baffled as it quickly transformed into a ‘cringe’ musical number

The actress, 41, returned as host of the annual ceremony, formerly known as the SAG Awards, for the third time on Sunday night

‘I feel like the people in this room could be doing so much more with their stage names,’ she sang. 

For instance, Emily Stone chose Emma Stone but don’t worry Emma you’re not alone. Like to Britt [Lower] or to Ted [Danson] or Billy Bob [Thornton] instead.’

The camera flashed to Stone, Lower, Danson and Thornton as their names were called out by Bell.

While both Stone and Lower offered polite smiles at Bell, Danson and Thornton looked on awkwardly from their seats as Bell called out more celebrity names at rapid fire. 

Noah Wyle, star of The Pitt, appeared totally caught off guard as Bell pitched him the stage name ‘Indoctrinate Me.’ while Bugonia star Jesse Plemons awkwardly nodded at Bell’s bizarre suggestion ‘Jesse Plimes.’  

Bell also spotlighted fellow Kristens and Kirstens in the room – Kristen Wiig and Kirsten Dunst – as she voiced her regret about not going by ‘Krinsten Bell’ which was a hilarious misprint of her name on an old headshot.

Bell burst into song as she called out Marilyn Monroe, Emma Stone, Vin Diesel and more stars who use stage names while accompanied by a trio of backup singers and a band

Celebrities like Kirsten Dunst and Kristen Wiig looked on awkwardly as they unexpecedly found themselves pulled into Bell’s ‘cringe’ musical bit

Noah Wyle, star of The Pitt, appeared totally caught off guard as Bell pitched him the stage name ‘Indoctrinate Me’

The 32nd Annual Actor Awards, formerly known as the SAG Awards, are set to roll out the red carpet at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The ceremony officially rebranded as The Actor Awards this year, a move designed to align the show with its iconic statuette ‘The Actor’, sharpen its global identity and keep the spotlight squarely on performers honoring their peers.

And there’s a familiar face steering the ship.

Kristen Bell returns as host for the third time, having previously emceed in 2018 and 2025.

‘Having Kristen return to host feels like welcoming back a member of the family. One you actually want to hang out with,’ show-runner and executive producer Jon Brockett said in a statement.

Streaming live on Netflix, the ceremony will hand out honors across 28 categories spanning film, television and limited series, with six nominees in each race except Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, which features eight contenders.

On the film side, One Battle After Another leads the pack with seven nominations, followed closely by Sinners with five.

The race for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role is stacked with Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, and Jesse Plemons for Bugonia.

The Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role category is equally competitive, featuring Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue and Emma Stone for Bugonia.

In supporting categories, Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn both scored nominations for One Battle After Another, while Jacob Elordi earned recognition for Frankenstein, Paul Mescal for Hamnet, and Miles Caton for Sinners in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role race.

The Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role lineup includes Odessa A’Zion for Marty Supreme, Ariana Grande for Wicked: For Good, Amy Madigan for Weapons, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners, and Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another – a mix of seasoned veterans and exciting newcomers.

The Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category brings ensemble firepower from Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another and Sinners, underscoring just how actor-driven this awards body remains.

Television, meanwhile, has its own battleground.

On the comedy front, The Studio dominated with five nominations, cementing its status as an actors’ favorite.

It will compete for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series alongside Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks and Only Murders in the Building.

Individual comedy acting races feature names like Kathryn Hahn, Catherine O’Hara and Seth Rogen from The Studio, Jean Smart for Hacks, Jenna Ortega for Wednesday, Adam Brody for Nobody Wants This, Ted Danson for A Man on the Inside and Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building.

Drama is just as intense. The White Lotus, Severance, The Diplomat, The Pitt and Landman are all nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

Acting nods in the drama categories went to performers including Britt Lower, Parker Posey, Keri Russell, Rhea Seehorn, Aimee Lou Wood, Sterling K. Brown, Billy Crudup, Walton Goggins, Gary Oldman and Noah Wyle.

Limited series and television movies continue to prove their awards muscle.

Nominees for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series include Claire Danes for The Beast in Me, Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco for Adolescence, Sarah Snook for All Her Fault and Michelle Williams for Dying for Sex.

On the male side, Jason Bateman for Black Rabbit, Owen Cooper and Stephen Graham for Adolescence, Charlie Hunnam for Monster: The Ed Gein Story and Matthew Rhys for The Beast in Me are all in contention.

Yet no awards season is complete without a little controversy.

One of the most talked-about snubs was Cynthia Erivo, who many expected to be nominated for Wicked: For Good but was left off the list.

Fans also pointed to the absence of Gwyneth Paltrow and Dwayne Johnson, while others questioned the limited international representation among acting nominees.

Additional omissions, including Sentimental Value on the film side and Death by Lightning in television, fueled further chatter.

Still, there were pleasant surprises that delighted fans, including supporting nominations for Odessa A’Zion (Marty Supreme) and Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), highlighting the breadth of this year’s roster.

Adding gravitas to the evening, Hollywood legend Harrison Ford will receive the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award.

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Ford has anchored some of the biggest franchises in film history, from Star Wars and Indiana Jones to Blade Runner and The Fugitive, cementing his status as one of Hollywood’s most bankable and enduring leading men.

‘I am deeply honored to be chosen as this year’s recipient of the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award,’ Ford said.

‘To be acknowledged by my fellow actors means a great deal to me. I’ve spent most of my life on film sets, working alongside incredible actors and crews, and I’ve always felt grateful to be part of this community.’

And helping represent the next generation is Bridgerton breakout Yerin Ha, who has been tapped as this year’s Ambassador for The Actor Awards.

‘Being named The Actor Awards Ambassador is such an honor because this ceremony is about actors celebrating actors,’ Ha said.

‘There is something uniquely powerful about being recognized within your own community. As someone who cares so deeply about the craft and about collaboration, it means so much to represent the next generation of actors and be part of an event that uplifts storytelling.’

Actor Awards 2026 nominees 

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

Frankenstein (Netflix)

Hamnet (Focus Features)

Marty Supreme (A24)

One Battle After Another (Warner Bros)

Sinners (Warner Bros)

The cast of Leonardo DiCaprio flick One Battle After Another is up for the biggest prize of the night

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Jessie Buckley – Hamnet

Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue

Chase Infinity – One Battle After Another

Emma Stone – Bugonia

Jessie Buckley is up for Best Female Actor in a Leading Role for Hamnet

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme

Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another

Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon

Michael B. Jordan – Sinners

Jesse Plemons – Bugonia

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Miles Caton – Sinners

Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another

Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein

Paul Mescal – Hamnet

Sean Penn – One Battle After Another

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Odessa A’zion – Marty Supreme

Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good

Amy Madigan – Weapons

Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners

Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Amy Madigan was recognized for her work in Weapons

OUTSTANDING STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

F1 (Apple Original Films)

Frankenstein (Netflix)

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount)

One Battle After Another (Warner Bros)

Sinners (Warner Bros)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES

The Diplomat (Netflix)

Landman (Paramount+)

The Pitt (HBO Max)

Severance (Apple TV)

The White Lotus (HBO)

The Pitt hopes to continue their successful awards season run

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Sterling K. Brown – Paradise

Billy Crudup – The Morning Show

Walton Goggins – The White Lotus

Gary Oldman – Slow Horses

Noah Wyle – The Pitt

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Britt Lower – Severance

Parker Posey – The White Lotus

Keri Russell – The Diplomat

Rhea Seehorn – Pluribus

Aimee Lou Wood – The White Lotus

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

The Bear (FX/Hulu)

Hacks (HBO Max)

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

The Studio (Apple TV)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Ike Barinholtz – The Studio

Adam Brody – Nobody Wants This

Ted Danson – Inside Man

Seth Rogen – The Studio

Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Kathryn Hahn – The Studio

Catherine O’Hara – The Studio

Jenna Ortega – Wednesday

Jean Smart – Hacks

Kristen Wiig – Palm Royale

Jean Smart was recognized for her work in Hacks once again

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Jason Bateman – Black Rabbit

Owen Cooper – Adolescence

Stephen Graham – Adolescence

Charlie Hunnam – Monster: The Ed Gein Story

Matthew Rhys – The Beast In Me

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Claire Danes – The Beast In Me

Erin Doherty – Adolescence

Sarah Snook – All Her Fault

Christine Tremarco – Adolescence

Michelle Williams – Dying For Sex

OUTSTANDING STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES

Andor (Disney+)

Landman (Paramount+)

The Last of Us (HBO)

Squid Game (Netflix)

Stranger Things (Netflix)