The SAG Awards are one of the major precursors for the Academy Awards.

Watts’ surprise nomination came in the supporting actress category for St Vincent, the comedy-drama starring Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy.

Surprise nod ... Melissa McCarthy, Jaeden Lieberher and Naomi Watts in dark comedy St Vincent. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Murray and McCarthy failed to pick up SAG nominations.

Watts will still be considered an outsider for a SAG win, with Patricia Arquette for Boyhood, a coming-of-age drama shot intermittently over 11 years, the favourite.

The other nominees are also heavyweights, with Meryl Streep (Into the Woods), Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game) and Emma Stone (Birdman) filling the remaining slots.

Watts also has a great chance at winning the SAG ensemble award, equivalent to the Academy Awards best picture category, with her cast from Birdman nominated.

The short-list for the coming Oscars should be sorted out on Thursday (Friday AEDT) when the nominations for the second most influential award ceremony, the Golden Globes, will be released.

Competition ... Patricia Arquette is considered the Oscars frontfronner for her role as the mother in Boyhood. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

A Globe nomination for Watts would cement her place as a great shot at the Academy Awards, with nominations for Hollywood’s top event announced next month.

In other SAG categories, lead film actor is a contest between Steve Carrell (Foxcatcher), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler), Michael Keaton (Birdman) and Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything).

For lead actress, Jennifer Aniston, for her dramatic and sans make-up role in Cake, was nominated along with Julianne Moore (Still Alice), Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) and Reese Witherspoon (Wild).

In the supporting actor race, Robert Duvall (The Judge), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood), Edward Norton (Birdman), Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher) and JK Simmons (Whiplash) grabbed the nominations.

Watts and her Birdman cast will compete for the ensemble SAG with the cast from Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything.

Ensemble cast ... Michael Keaton as a washed-up actor in a scene from "Birdman." Picture: AP/Fox Searchlight Source: AP

The 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony will take place on January 25.

The Oscar nominations will be announced on January 15 and the winners revealed on February 22.

21st ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS NOMINATIONS

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Dark drama ... Channing Tatum and Steve Carell in a scene from film Foxcatcher, which is earning funnyman Carell rave reviews for his first drama role. Source: Supplied

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

STEVE CARELL / John Du Pont — “FOXCATCHER” (Sony Pictures Classics)

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH / Alan Turing — “THE IMITATION GAME” (The Weinstein Company)

JAKE GYLLENHAAL / Louis Bloom — “NIGHTCRAWLER” (Open Road Films)

MICHAEL KEATON / Riggan — “BIRDMAN” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

EDDIE REDMAYNE / Stephen Hawking — “THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING” (Focus Features)

Praised ... Reese Witherspoon may be in the running for her second Oscar for her moving performance in Wild. Picture: AP Photo/Fox Searchlight Pictures Source: AP

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

JENNIFER ANISTON / Claire Bennett — “CAKE” (Cinelou Films)

FELICITY JONES / Jane Hawking — “THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING” (Focus Features)

JULIANNE MOORE / Alice Howland-Jones — “STILL ALICE” (Sony Pictures Classics)

ROSAMUND PIKE / Amy Dunne — “GONE GIRL” (20th Century Fox)

REESE WITHERSPOON / Cheryl Strayed — “WILD” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Ellar Coltrane and Ethan Hawke in a scene from 2014 film, Boyhood Supplied by Universal Pictures Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

ROBERT DUVALL / Joseph Palmer — “THE JUDGE” (Warner Bros Pictures)

ETHAN HAWKE / Mason, Sr. – “BOYHOOD” (IFC Films)

EDWARD NORTON / Mike — “BIRDMAN” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

MARK RUFFALO / Dave Schultz — “FOXCATCHER” (Sony Pictures Classics)

J.K. SIMMONS / Fletcher — “WHIPLASH” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Scary Streep ... The Baker (James Corden), Baker's Wife (Emily Blunt), and the Witch (Meryl Streep) in Disney's musical Into the Woods. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

PATRICIA ARQUETTE / Olivia — “BOYHOOD” (IFC Films)

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY / Joan Clarke — “THE IMITATION GAME” (The Weinstein Company)

EMMA STONE / Sam — “BIRDMAN” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

MERYL STREEP / The Witch — “INTO THE WOODS” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

NAOMI WATTS / Daka — “ST. VINCENT” (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

BIRDMAN (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

ZACH GALIFIANAKIS / Jake

MICHAEL KEATON / Riggan

EDWARD NORTON / Mike

ANDREA RISEBOROUGH / Laura

AMY RYAN / Sylvia

EMMA STONE / Sam

NAOMI WATTS / Lesley

BOYHOOD (IFC Films)

PATRICIA ARQUETTE / Olivia

ELLAR COLTRANE / Mason

ETHAN HAWKE / Mason, Sr.

LORELEI LINKLATER / Samantha

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

F. MURRAY ABRAHAM / Mr. Moustafa

MATHIEU AMALRIC / Serge X.

ADRIEN BRODY / Dmitri

WILLEM DAFOE / Jopling

RALPH FIENNES / M. Gustave

JEFF GOLDBLUM / Dep. Kovacs

HARVEY KEITEL / Ludwig

JUDE LAW / Young Writer

BILL MURRAY / M. Ivan

EDWARD NORTON / Henckels

TONY REVOLORI / Zero

SAOIRSE RONAN / Agatha

JASON SCHWARTZMAN / M. Jean

LÉA SEYDOUX / Clotilde

TILDA SWINTON / Madame D

TOM WILKINSON / Author

OWEN WILSON / M. Chuck

Fan favourite ... Benedict Cumberbatch plays closeted codebreaker Alan Turing in "The Imitation Game." Picture: AP Photo/The Weinstein Company, Jack English Source: AP

THE IMITATION GAME (The Weinstein Company)

MATTHEW BEARD / Peter Hilton

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH / Alan Turing

CHARLES DANCE / Commander Denniston

MATTHEW GOODE / Hugh Alexander

RORY KINNEAR / Nock

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY / Joan Clarke

ALLEN LEECH / John Cairncross

MARK STRONG / Stewart Menzies

Love story ... Felicity Jones as Jane Hawking and Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING (Focus Features)

CHARLIE COX / Jonathan Hellyer Jones

FELICITY JONES / Jane Hawking

SIMON McBURNEY / Frank Hawking

EDDIE REDMAYNE / Stephen Hawking

DAVID THEWLIS / Dennis Sciama

EMILY WATSON / Beryl Wilde

TELEVISION PROGRAMS

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

ADRIEN BRODY / Harry Houdini — “HOUDINI” (History)

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH / Sherlock Holmes — “SHERLOCK: HIS LAST VOW” (PBS)

RICHARD JENKINS / Henry Kitteridge — “OLIVE KITTERIDGE” (HBO)

MARK RUFFALO / Ned Weeks — “THE NORMAL HEART” (HBO)

BILLY BOB THORNTON / Lorne Malvo — “FARGO” (FX)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

ELLEN BURSTYN / Olivia Foxworth — “FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC” (Lifetime)

MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL / Nessa Stein — “THE HONORABLE WOMAN” (Sundance TV)

FRANCES McDORMAND / Olive Kitteridge — “OLIVE KITTERIDGE” (HBO)

JULIA ROBERTS / Dr. Emma Brookner — “THE NORMAL HEART” (HBO)

CICELY TYSON / Carrie Watts — “THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL” (Lifetime)

Ruthless ... Kevin Spacey as Francis Underwood and Robin Wright as Clair Underwood in House of Cards. Picture: AP Photo/Netflix, Nathaniel E. Bell Source: AP

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson — “BOARDWALK EMPIRE” (HBO)

PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister — “GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)

WOODY HARRELSON / Martin Hart — “TRUE DETECTIVE” (HBO)

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY / Rust Cohle — “TRUE DETECTIVE” (HBO)

KEVIN SPACEY / Francis Underwood — “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Tough to beat ... Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison in Homeland season four. Picture: Showtime Source: Supplied

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (6 nominees)

CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison — “HOMELAND” (Showtime)

VIOLA DAVIS / Annalise Keating — “HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER” (ABC)

JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick — “THE GOOD WIFE” (CBS)

TATIANA MASLANY / Sarah/Coxima/Alison/Rachel/Helena/Tony/Jennifer and Various Others — “ORPHAN BLACK” (BBC America)

MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham — “DOWNTON ABBEY” (PBS)

ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood — “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Cult hit ... Orphan Black fans have often complained that Tatiana Maslany, who plays six characters in the sci-fi cult show, is overlooked during awards season. Picture: BBC America Source: Supplied

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy — “MODERN FAMILY ” (ABC)

LOUIS C.K. / Louie — “LOUIE” (FX)

WILLIAM H. MACY / Frank Gallagher — “SHAMELESS” (Showtime)

JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper — “THE BIG BANG THEORY” (CBS)

ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker — “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)

Nominated ... Uzo Aduba has won raves for her performance as Crazy Eyes. Picture: AP Source: AP

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren — “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK” (Netflix)

JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy — “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)

EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton — “NURSE JACKIE” (Showtime)

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Vice President Selina Meyer — “VEEP” (HBO)

AMY POEHLER / Leslie Knope — “PARKS AND RECREATION” (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)

STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson

PAUL CALDERON / Arquimedes

NICHOLAS CALHOUN / Sean

LOUIS CANCELMI / Mike D’Angelo

JOHN ELLISON CONLEE / Commodore

MICHAEL COUNTRYMAN / Frank Wilson

STEPHEN GRAHAM / Al Capone

DOMENICK LOMBARDOZZI / Ralph Capone

NOLAN LYONS / Enoch Thompson (young)

KELLY MACDONALD / Margaret Thompson

BORIS McGIVER / Sheriff Smith Johnson

VINCENT PIAZZA / Charlie “Lucky” Luciano

PAUL SPARKS / Mickey Doyle

TRAVIS TOPE / Joe Hardy

SHEA WHIGHAM / Eli Thompson

ANATOL YUSEF / Meyer Lansky

MICHAEL ZEGEN / Benny Siegel

DOWNTON ABBEY (PBS)

HUGH BONNEVILLE / Robert, Earl of Grantham

LAURA CARMICHAEL / Lady Edith Crawley

JIM CARTER / Mr. Carson

BRENDAN COYLE / Mr. Bates

MICHELLE DOCKERY / Lady Mary Crawley

KEVIN DOYLE / Mr. Molesley

JOANNE FROGGATT / Anna Bates

LILY JAMES / Lady Rose

ROBERT JAMES-COLLIER / Thomas Barrow

ALLEN LEECH / Tom Branson

PHYLLIS LOGAN / Mrs. Hughes

ELIZABETH McGOVERN / Cora, Countess of Grantham

SOPHIE McSHERA / Daisy

MATT MILNE / Alfred

LESLEY NICOL / Mrs. Patmore

DAVID ROBB / Dr. Clarkson

MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham

ED SPELEERS / Jimmy Kent

CARA THEOBOLD / Ivy

PENELOPE WILTON / Isobel Crawley

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

JOSEF ALTIN / Pyp

JACOB ANDERSON / Grey Worm

JOHN BRADLEY / Samwell Tarly

DOMINIC CARTER / Janos Slynt

GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE / Brienne of Tarth

EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen

NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Jaime Lannister

BEN CROMPTON / Dolorous Edd

CHARLES DANCE / Tywin Lannister

PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister

NATALIE DORMER / Margaery Tyrell

NATHALIE EMMANUEL / Missandei

IAIN GLEN / Ser Jorah Mormont

JULIAN GLOVER / Pycelle

KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow

LENA HEADEY / Cersei Lannister

CONLETH HILL / Varys

RORY McCANN / Sandor “The Hound” Clegane

IAN McELHINNEY / Ser Barristan Selmy

PEDRO PASCAL / Oberyn Martell

DANIEL PORTMAN / Podrick Payne

MARK STANLEY / Grenn

SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark

MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark

HOMELAND (Showtime)

NUMAN ACAR / Hassan Haqqani

NAZANIN BONIADI / Fara Sherazi

CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison

RUPERT FRIEND / Peter Quinn

RAZA JAFFREY / Aasar Khan

NIMRAT KAUR / Tasneem Qureishi

TRACY LETTS / Sen. Andrew Lockhart

MARK MOSES / Dennis Boyd

MICHAEL O’KEEFE / John Redmond

MANDY PATINKIN / Saul Berenson

LAILA ROBINS / Martha Boyd

MAURY STERLING / Max

HOUSE OF CARDS (Netflix)

MAHERSHALA ALI / Remy Danton

JAYNE ATKINSON / Catherine Durant

RACHEL BROSNAHAN / Rachel Posner

DEREK CECIL / Seth Grayson

NATHAN DARROW / Edward Meechum

MICHEL GILL / President Walker

JOANNA GOING / Tricia Walker

SAKINA JAFFREY / Linda Vasquez

MICHAEL KELLY / Doug Stamper

MOZHAN MARNÃ’ / Ayla Sayyad

GERALD McRANEY / Raymond Tusk

MOLLY PARKER / Jackie Sharp

JIMMI SIMPSON / Gavin Orsay

KEVIN SPACEY / Francis Underwood

ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)

MAYIM BIALIK / Amy Farrah Fowler

KALEY CUOCO-SWEETING / Penny

JOHNNY GALECKI / Leonard Hofstadter

SIMON HELBERG / Howard Wolowitz

KUNAL NAYYAR / Rajesh Koothrappali

JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper

MELISSA RAUCH / Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE (FOX)

STEPHANIE BEATRIZ / Det. Rosa Diaz

DIRK BLOCKER / Hitchcock

ANDRE BRAUGHER / Capt. Ray Holt

TERRY CREWS / Sgt. Terry Jeffords

MELISSA FUMERO / Det. Amy Santiago

JOE LO TRUGLIO / Det. Charles Boyle

JOEL McKINNON MILLER / Scully

CHELSEA PERETTI / Gina Linetti

ANDY SAMBERG / Det. Jake Peralta

MODERN FAMILY (ABC)

AUBREY ANDERSON EMMONS / Lily Tucker-Pritchett

JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy

TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy

JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell Pritchett

NOLAN GOULD / Luke Dunphy

SARAH HYLAND / Haley Dunphy

ED O’NEILL / Jay Pritchett

RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny Delgado

ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker

SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett

ARIEL WINTER / Alex Dunphy

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix)

UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren

JASON BIGGS / Larry Bloom

DANIELLE BROOKS / Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson

LAVERNE COX / Sophia Burset

JACKIE CRUZ / Flaca

CATHERINE CURTIN / Wanda Bell

LEA DELARIA / Carrie “Big Boo” Black

BETH FOWLER / Sister Ingalls

YVETTE FREEMAN / Irma

GERMAR TERRELL GARDNER / Charles Ford

KIMIKO GLENN / Brook Soso

ANNIE GOLDEN / Norma Romano

DIANE GUERRERO / Maritza Ramos

MICHAEL J. HARNEY / Ofc. Sam Healy

VICKY JEUDY / Janae Watson

JULIE LAKE / Angie Rice

LAUREN LAPKUS / Susan Fischer

SELENIS LEYVA / Gloria Mendoza

NATASHA LYONNE / Nicky Nichols

TARYN MANNING / Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett

JOEL MARSH GARLAND / Scott O’Neill

MATT McGORRY / Ofc. John Bennett

ADRIENNE C. MOORE / Black Cindy

KATE MULGREW / Galina “Red” Reznikov

EMMA MYLES / Leanne Taylor

JESSICA PIMENTEL / Maria Ruiz

DASCHA POLANCO / Dayanara Diaz

ALYSIA REINER / Natalie “Fig” Figueroa

JUDITH ROBERTS / Taslitz

ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ / Aleida Diaz

BARBARA ROSENBLAT / Miss Rosa

NICK SANDOW / Joe Caputo

ABIGAIL SAVAGE / Gina

TAYLOR SCHILLING / Piper Chapman

CONSTANCE SHULMAN / Yoga Jones

DALE SOULES / Frieda

YAEL STONE / Lorna Morello

LORRAINE TOUSSAINT / Yvonne “Vee” Parker

LIN TUCCI / Anita DeMarco

SAMIRA WILEY / Poussey Washington

VEEP (HBO)

SUFE BRADSHAW / Sue Wilson

ANNA CHLUMSKY / Amy Brookheimer

GARY COLE / Kent Davidson

KEVIN DUNN / Ben Cafferty

TONY HALE / Gary Walsh

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Vice President Selina Meyer

REID SCOTT / Dan Egan

TIMOTHY SIMONS / Jonah Ryan

MATT WALSH / Mike McLintock

SAG AWARDS HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

“FURY” (Columbia Pictures)

“GET ON UP” (Universal Pictures)

“THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES” (Warner Bros Pictures)

“UNBROKEN” (Universal Pictures)

“X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST” (20th Century Fox)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series (6 nominees)

“24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY” (FOX)

“BOARDWALK EMPIRE” (HBO)

“GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)

“HOMELAND” (Showtime)

“SONS OF ANARCHY” (FX)

“THE WALKING DEAD” (AMC)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Screen Actors Guild 51st Annual Life Achievement Award

DEBBIE REYNOLDS