The 27th ceremony of the Screen Actors Guild Awards takes place on April 4, with the winners selected by the Screen Actors Guild. An unmissable event in the film industry calendar, it provides an opportunity to both applaud artistic performances and to highlight the Taittinger House’s commitment to the silver screen.
The Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as the SAG Awards) first started in 1995 to acknowledge performing and recording artists for their cinematic or television performances. Individuals, groups and film casts are recognised with awards, reiterating the notion that acting is a collaborative art form.
During this red-carpet event, 13 award winners will receive their own iconic Edward Saenz statuette. For the last few years outside the context of a global health crisis, Vitalie Taittinger, President of Maison Taittinger, has opened the ceremony with a toast prior to the announcement of the winners. This is a result of the Champagne House’s long-standing partnership with the SAG Awards, spanning over 20 years. But this partnership goes a lot further than just providing champagne for the celebrations, and is consistent with the company’s genuine policy of commitment to artists and film alike. The SAG-AFTRA represents over 160,000 actors, advertisers, journalists, broadcasters, dancers, DJs, news editors, editors-in-chief, programme facilitators, puppeteers, recording artists, signers, stuntpeople, voiceover actors and other professionals. At the event, the American union calls on its partners and audience to come together and support its foundation’s various programmes. These include an emergency fund to support and assist artists throughout their careers, as well as a programme to promote literacy and the spread of knowledge – equating to over 300,000 $ for those who need it most.
“The SAG Awards bring together this family of actors and all the people associated with the film industry. By supporting the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and its emergency assistance programmes, all those who are involved in the business are represented, supported and celebrated. As a family-run Champagne House, FAMILY is one of our fundamental values. For us this means many different things, but above all taking care of people – they are our extended family. Both of us (Taittinger and SAG) are keen to support the brilliance of people within their industries, helping them to pursue their dreams and nurture their creativity. I see this partnership as a perfect symmetry,” says Vitalie Taittinger.
Over the course of the evening, celebrities attending the event are invited to sign a selection of ‘Brut la Française’ champagne magnums. Made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, this cuvee offers a light, elegant and balanced champagne. For every signature, Taittinger makes a contribution to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s emergency aid programme. These unique bottles are then offered for sale at the charity auction after the ceremony.
Although the SAG Awards will return for 2021 in an undoubtedly reimagined format to comply with health crisis restrictions, the ceremony remains highly anticipated because it is often a reliable predictor of Oscar results. Last year, for example, four SAG Awards and four Oscars were awarded to the same actors: Renée Zellweger (Judy), Brad Pitt (Once upon a time in Hollywood), Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) and Laura Dern (Marriage Story). Not forgetting Parasite, which won the top prize at the SAG Awards and was subsequently awarded Best Film at the Oscars.
Regardless of the results from this year’s ceremony, it will mark a new stage in a long and closely intertwined history between champagne and film. As Vitalie Taittinger puts it, “Cinema enables us to project ourselves into the spirit of a society – its dreams, fears and everyday life. It translates society’s view of the past, reflects its present experiences and expresses its projection into the future, its anticipation. These patterns are in harmony with those of the champagne world. The similarities are striking.”
