Jessie Buckley stuns in a Balenciaga gown as she, Aimee Lou Wood, Erin Doherty and Emily Watson lead the British and Irish stars on the 2026 Actor Awards red carpet

Jessie Buckley led the British and Irish stars hitting the red carpet for the 2026 Actor Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night. 

Fresh from a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice awards win, the Hamnet actress, 36, will battle it out for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. 

Jessie exuded elegance in a black and white Balenciaga gown as she joined fellow Actor Awards nominees Aimee Lou Wood, 32, Erin Doherty, 33, as well as Emily Watson, 59, at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall. 

Manchester-born Aimee caught the eye in a baby blue chiffon off-the-shoulder dress, made bespoke by Versace, and Jimmy Choo sandals. 

The actress is up Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, while her show White Lotus is in the running for Best Ensemble. 

Erin looked glamorous in a custom Louis Vuitton structured pale pink satin dress which she teamed with matching heels. 

The Crown actress is up for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie following her incredible performance in Netflix series Adolescence. 

Emily looked effortlessly elegant in a blue gown which cascaded over her shoulders in a cape-like style. 

Mia Goth, 32, meanwhile, put on a dazzling display in an embellished dress which featured a ruffled train. 

It marked her first red carpet appearance since estranged husband Shia LaBeouf’s second battery arrest in just 10 days. 

The actor was booked into a New Orleans jail on Saturday on a misdemeanor battery charge, stemming from a Mardi Gras bar fight earlier this month.

Shia had initially been arrested on February 17 over the same altercation and later posted a $100,000 bond. He is now required to check into rehab and undergo regular drug and alcohol testing.

Amid all the drama, Mia, 32, who split from the Transformers star last year after nine years of marriage, put on a brave face at the Hollywood event.  

Sinners star Wunmi Mosaku, 39, who is up for Best Supporting Actress, wowed in a custom Louis Vuitton red gown and Messika jewellery. 

Paul Mescal showed off his signature style in an oversized double breasted blazer and tie shirt. 

The Irish actor, 30, is up for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Hamnet. 

Coronation Street‘s Katy Cavanagh joined Hamnet star son Jacobi Jupe. 

The actress, 52, who played Julie Carp in the ITV soap, looked worlds away from Weatherfield in a glamorous black sequinned gown.

Her dazzling dress boasted a chic boat neckline while adding a pop of colour with emerald earrings and a striking red lip. 

Meanwhile Jacobi, 12, rocked a gold sequinned blazer for the one of the biggest nights in Hollywood

In the tearjerker, Jacobi plays the title role, Shakespeare’s son who died aged 11, while Noah plays an actor performing Hamlet in the Bard’s play said to have been inspired by that tragedy. 

Julie has reinvented herself as a showbiz ‘momager’ – a combination of mum and manager – as he also supports eldest son Noah, 20, best known for his role in A Quiet Place and also appears in Hamnet. 

Streaming live on Netflix, the ceremony will hand out honours 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 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 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.’