LOS ANGELES (Monday, July 9, 2012) – Submissions of performances for consideration for the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® nominations are now open online at sagawards.org/submissions, it was announced today by SAG Awards® Committee Chair JoBeth Williams. For the first time, submissions will be accepted online only. Submissions will close on Thursday, Oct. 25, at 5 p.m. (PST).

“Implementing an online submissions only policy this year reflects SAG Awards continuing commitment to environmentally sound practices,” Williams explains. The SAG Awards was honored in 2009, 2010 and 2011 with the Environmental Media Association (EMA)’s Green Seal, recognizing a production’s outstanding efforts to implement sustainable initiatives and promote environmental awareness. Online submissions for Actor® nominations have been available since the 9th SAG Awards. Actors and their representatives were advised this time last year that an online submissions only policy would be implemented as of the 19th Annual SAG Awards and were encouraged to try the online procedure if they had not previously done so.

The Screen Actors Guild Award—The Actor®—is presented by SAG-AFTRA for outstanding performances in motion pictures and primetime television. Actors may submit their own performances from 2012 for consideration in categories of the actor’s choosing. With the actor’s permission, producers, studios/networks, agents, managers, or publicists may also submit performances for consideration in the category designated by the actor. Nominations for the 19th Annual SAG Awards will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012 at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.

Of the top industry honors presented to performers, only the SAG Awards are selected entirely by actors’ union peers The nominees for performances in 2012, including the distinctive ensemble awards and stunt ensemble honors, will be chosen by two separate film and television nominating panels, each comprised of 2,100 members from across the United States, who were randomly selected this spring. Nomination ballots will be mailed on Wednesday, Nov. 21 and voting closes on Monday, Dec. 10.

After nominations are announced, final SAG Awards voting instructions will be mailed on Monday, Dec. 31, 2012 to all active members of SAG-AFTRA. Online voting is encouraged. Final voting paper ballots are available only upon request between Monday, Oct. 1, 2012 and Monday, Jan. 14, 2013. Online votes must be cast or previously-requested paper ballots returned by Friday, Jan. 25 to the SAG Awards election firm, where results will be sealed until they are opened onstage at the 19h Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. The ceremony will be simulcast live from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center on TNT and TBS at 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT, 6 p.m. MT and 5 p.m. PT.

Complete rules and regulations for the 19th Annual SAG Awards are posted at www.sagawards.org/rules.

Categories for submission are as follows:

Theatrical Motion Pictures

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Primetime Broadcast and Cable Television Programs

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Stunt Ensemble Honors (recipients to be announced from the SAG Awards® red carpet on Sunday, Jan. 27)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series

The following are upcoming key deadlines and events leading to the 19th Annual SAG Awards. Dates that have been changed since the last calendar was released in March are marked with an asterisk*

Monday, July 9, 2012
Submissions Open at sagawards.org/submissions

Wednesday, September 10, 2012
Deadline for Nominating Committee Members to Make Address Changes

Monday, October 1, 2012
Media Nomination Announcement and Ceremony Credential Applications Open at sagawards.org
Publicists Nomination Announcement Credential Applications Open at sagawards.org

Monday, October 1, 2012
Period to Request Paper Final Ballots in Lieu of Online Voting Begins

Thursday, October 25, 2012
Submissions Close at 5 p.m. PT at sagawards.org/submissions

Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Media Nomination Announcement and Ceremony Credential Applications Close

Friday, November 8, 2012
Publicists Nomination Announcement Credential Applications Close

Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Nominations Ballots Mailed

*Friday, November 30, 2012
Deadline for Paying November 2011 Dues and/or Changing Address with SAG-AFTRA to be Eligible for Final Balloting

Monday December 10, 2012
Nomination Ballots Due at the Elections Firm by 12 Noon p.m. PT
*Records Pulled for Final Balloting

Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Nominations Announced at the Pacific Design Center

Friday, December 14, 2012
Publicists Ceremony Credential Applications Open at sagawards.org

Monday, December 31, 2012
Final Balloting Information Mailed to Members

Friday, January 4, 2013
Publicists Ceremony Credential Applications Close

Monday, January 14, 2013
Final Day to Request Paper Final Ballots in Lieu of Online Voting

Friday, January 25, 2013
Final Votes Must be Cast Online or Ballots Received by the Elections Firm by 12 Noon PT

Sunday, January 27, 2013
19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center

The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® presented by SAG-AFTRA will be produced by Jeff Margolis Productions in association with Screen Actors Guild Awards®, LLC. For more information about the SAG Awards, SAG-AFTRA, TNT and TBS, visit sagawards.org/about, “like” SAG Awards at facebook.com/sagawardsofficialpage and follow SAG Awards at twitter.com/sagawards.