During the awards show, SAG President Alan Rosenberg gave a shout-out to all the other Hollywood guilds: WGA, DGA, AFTRA, IATSE, and Teamsters, and noted that SAG was proud to be a union. There was almost no mention of the ongoing contract between impasse between SAG and the Hollywood studios and networks. Sean Penn in Focus Features’ Milk took the Oscars lead over Brad Pitt and Mickey Rourke tonight after winning SAG’s “Motion Picture – Actor” award since actors make up the biggest contingent of Academy Award voters. A surprised Meryl Streep took the “Motion Picture – Actress” award for Miramax’s Doubt. And Fox Searchlight’s Slumdog Millionaire continued its sweep of this year’s awards, making it a sure thing to win the Best Picture Oscar.

And The Actor goes to (as it happens):

Television — Actor in a comedy series
ALEC BALDWIN, 30 Rock (NBC)

Television — Actress in a comedy series
TINA FEY, 30 Rock (NBC): Fey, creator and star of the series, made mention of the current SAG-AMPTP contract impasse on issues like pay for New Media by noting that, one day, her young daughter would be old enough to watch reruns of 30 Rock on the Internet, ”She’ll look up at me and say, ‘What do you mean, you don’t get residuals for this?’”

Television — Ensemble in a comedy series
THE CAST OF 30 ROCK (NBC): ”An ensemble cast is better than its parts because some of these people are just weirdos we picked up off the street,” said Jane Krakowski.

Motion Picture — Supporting Actress
KATE WINSLET, The Reader (The Weinstein Co): She offered a tribute to the late Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack, both producers on The Reader.

Television — Actor in a drama series
HUGH LAURIE, House (Fox): his was his second win. “I actually had $100 on James Spader. This is just not my night.” He also noted that “my agent believes that “the more films you do, the less they want you in television.”

Television — Actress in a drama series
SALLY FIELD, Brothers & Sisters (ABC): This was her first win in 6 nominations. “Actors, we inspire, we provoke, and never has that been needed more than in this country now.”

Television — Ensemble in a drama Series
THE CAST OF MAD MEN (AMC): Jon Hamm thanked his series “dozens” of viewers, a reference to its low ratings despite critical acclaim. “I can speak for everyone in thanking one person who brought this show to life, Matt Weiner.”

Life achievement award
JAMES EARL JONES: “Mainly, I want to thank all of you for the work that you do.” And then he concluded, “I’d like to raise a salute: Paul Newman, somebody down here likes you.”

Television — Actress in a television movie or miniseries
LAURA LINNEY, John Adams (HBO): “My fiance told me if I win this not to fondle the actor. So I’ll just look…”

Television — Actor in a television movie or miniseries
PAUL GIAMATTI, John Adams (HBO)

Motion Picture — Supporting Actor
HEATH LEDGER, The Dark Knight (Warner Bros): Co-star Gary Oldman accepted on Ledger’s behalf praising his “extraordinary talent”. (Heath’s death was included in last year’s In Memory segment at the SAG awards.)

Motion Picture — Actress
MERYL STREEP, Doubt (Miramax): “Well, I didn’t even buy a dress. I’m really really shocked. and even though awards don’t mean anything to me anymore, I’m really, really happy.” Streep also thanked Scott Rudin “ofor going out of his way to find interesting things for actors to do, especially the girls. I am so in awe by the work of the women this year — nominated, not nominated. I am so proud of us girls. Everybody wins when we get parts.”

Motion Picture — Actor
SEAN PENN, Milk (Focus Features): Thank you and good evening, comrades. That was for [Bill] O’Reilly.” About his fellow nominees, Penn said, “I wept at each and every one of these performances.”

Motion Picture — Ensemble Cast
THE CAST OF SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight): They thanked director Danny Boyle, as well as Fox Searchlight’s Peter Rice, and others, and accepted the award on behalf of all the children who played in the film.

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
The Dark Knight (Warner Bros)
WADE ALLEN, RICK AVERY, DEAN BAILEY, RICHARD BURDEN, FRANK CALZAVARA, MARK CHADWICK, BRIAN CHRISTENSEN, GEORGE COTTLE, TOBIASZ DASKIEWICZ, JUSTO DIEGUEZ, MARIE FINK, JEAN-PIERRE GOY, MARK HARPER, ADAM HART, JAMES HEISNER, SY HOLLANDS, TERRY JACKSON, PAUL JENNINGS, LUKE KEARNEY, MATT LeFEVOUR, RICK LeFEVOUR, TOM LOWELL, TONY LUCKEN, DANIEL MALDONADO, JON MALDONADO, JAMES MAMMOSER, KEVIN MATHEWS, TOM McCOMAS, TIM McHENRY, NATALIE M. MEYER, RICK MILLER, MARK MOTTRAM, CHRIS NOLTE, ANDY NORMAN, CARL PAOLI, LINDA PERLIN, BRIAN PETERS, SCOTT PHILYAW, BUSTER REEVES, KEN REMER, RICHARD RYAN, JEFF SHANNON, KEVIN SORENSEN, JODI STARNES, TOM STRUTHERS, TODD ROGERS, TERRY JIM WILKEY, RICH WILKIE

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
Heroes (NBC)
ROBERT ALONZO, HEATHER ARTHUR, ALLISON CAETANO, CHRIS CARNEL, DANE FARWELL, TIM GILBERT, TROY GILBERT, RYAN JAMES HAPPY,  CHRIS HOWELL, HORACE KNIGHT, WILL LEONG, JIM LEWIS, RICK MARCUS, AUSTIN PRIESTER, SIMON RHEE, MARK RICCARDI, PAT ROMANO, SPIKE SILVER, LEE SMITH, ERIK STABENAU, NANCY THURSTON, XUYEN “SAMMY” VALDIVIA, MARK WAGNER, MARCUS YOUNG

Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.

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