12 Years a Slave tops Screen Actors Guild nominations

A scene from 12 Years a Slave.

Steve McQueen's historic saga 12 Years a Slave, Jon Wells' dysfunctional family adaptation August: Osage County, Jean-Marc Vallee's Aids drama Dallas Buyers Club and the sweeping White House servant tale The Butler have topped the list of outstanding performances for the 20th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

In the television section of the awards, both Elisabeth Moss and Holly Hunter are nominated for their roles in the New Zealand-filmed Jane Campion series Top of the Lake.

12 Years a Slave scored four nominations, while Osage County and The Butler earned three nominations in today's announcements.

Each of the three films was nominated for overall performance by their casts. Also nominated for best ensemble cast was David O. Russell's 1970s con-artist romp American Hustle.

12 Years a Slave attained individual acting nominations, as well, including male lead for Chiwetel Ejiofor as a displaced free black man, Michael Fassbender for supporting actor as a ruthless slave owner and Lupita Nyong'o for female supporting as a favoured fieldworker.

August: Osage County had individual nominations for Meryl Streep for female lead as the conflicted matriarch in the adaptation of Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning play, and Julia Roberts as the domineering daughter for supporting female actor.

Dallas Buyers Club also scored nominations for Matthew McConaughey as the HIV-positive rodeo-lover in the best actor category and Jared Leto as a transgender for supporting actor.

Forest Whitaker received the lead actor nomination for his performance as a long-time White House butler in The Butler.

Also bringing in a lead actor nominations were Bruce Dern for his performance of an aging dreamer in Alexander Payne's small town dark comedy Nebraska and Tom Hanks, who plays the title role in the Paul Greengrass Somali pirate story.

Additional best-actress nominees included Cate Blanchett as a fallen socialite in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine, Sandra Bullock as a brave astronaut in Alfonso Curaon's lost-in-space odyssey Gravity, Judi Dench as a woman in search of her son in Philomena and Emma Thompson as author PL Travers in the Disney comedy Saving Mr Banks.

The SAG Awards will be presented January 18. The guild nominations are one of Hollywood's first major announcements on the long road to the March 2 Academy Awards.

The Golden Globe nominations will be revealed Friday morning New Zealand time.

Movie Nominees

Actor: Bruce Dern, Nebraska; Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave; Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips; Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club; Forest Whitaker, The Butler.

Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine; Sandra Bullock, Gravity; Judi Dench Philomena; Meryl Streep, August: Osage County; Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks.

Supporting actor: Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips; Daniel Bruhl, Rush; Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave; James Gandolfini, Enough Said; Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club.

Supporting actress: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle; Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave; Julia Roberts, August: Osage County; June Squibb, Nebraska; Oprah Winfrey, The Butler.

Cast: 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, August: Osage County, Dallas Buyers Club, The Butler.

Stunt ensemble: All is Lost, Fast & Furious 6, Lone Survivor, Rush, The Wolverine.

Television Nominees

Actor in a movie or miniseries: Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra; Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra; Jeremy Irons, The Hollow Crown; Rob Lowe, Killing Kennedy; Al Pacino, Phil Spector.

Actress in a movie or miniseries: Angela Bassett, Betty & Coretta; Helena Bonham Carter, Burton and Taylor; Holly Hunter, Top of the Lake; Helen Mirren, Phil Spector; Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake.

Actor in a drama series: Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire; Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad; Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom; Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones; Kevin Spacey, House of Cards.

Actress in a drama series: Claire Danes, Homeland; Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad; Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven; Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey; Kerry Washington, Scandal.

Actor in a comedy series: Alex Baldwin, 30 Rock; Jason Bateman, Arrested Development; Ty Burrell, Modern Family; Don Cheadle, House of Lies; Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory.

Actress in a comedy series: Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory; Julie Bowen, Modern Family; Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie; Tina Fey, 30 Rock; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep.

Drama series cast: Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Homeland.

Comedy series cast: 30 Rock, Arrested Development, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Veep.

Stunt ensemble: Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Homeland, The Walking Dead.

- AP