The Screen Actors Guild Awards are voted on by members of the Screen Actors Guild so, essentially, the actors themselves decide who gave the most award-winning performances of the year. Except for the Academy Awards, I believe the SAG Award is the most coveted by actors because they are given by the actors themselves. Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds took home the top award last night for the Best Ensemble Performance Award (Film) while Glee took home the award for Best Ensemble Performance Award (Television Comedy) and Mad Men took home the award for Best Ensemble Performance Award (Television Drama). After the jump, check out some photos from the show itself and find out who else took home trophies from the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards last night …

Quentin Tarantino’s bloody World War Two revenge flick “Inglourious Basterds” won the top honor at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards Saturday, a key indicator of possible Oscars contenders. After being overlooked in favor of science fiction epic “Avatar” at last week’s Golden Globes, “Inglourious Basterds” revitalized its Oscar hopes by scooping the best ensemble performance award. The SAG Awards are seen as a bellwether of likely winners at the Academy Awards, which take place this year on March 7. For the past two years, the winner of the SAG Awards best ensemble statuette has gone on to win best picture at the Oscars, with “Slumdog Millionaire” triumphing in 2009 and “No Country For Old Men” prevailing in 2008. Actor Eli Roth accepted the award Saturday on behalf of the “Inglorious Basterds” cast, which included Brad Pitt who was nowhere to be seen Saturday. Roth paid tribute to “Pulp Fiction” director Tarantino in his acceptance speech. “Quentin your belief in us lets us rise to the occasion and brings out the best in all of us, it was an honor to be a part of this,” Roth said. Other films nominated in the category included “An Education,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Nine,” and “Precious.” Top individual acting honors were won by Hollywood veteran Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock in a repeat of last week’s Golden Globe Awards. The wins cement Bridges’s and Bullock’s status as Oscars front-runners. Bridges, 60, won for his portrayal of a washed up country singer battling to rebuild his career in the drama “Crazy Heart.” “This means so much to be acknowledged by my acting family,” Bridges said. “It’s like a big family, playing advanced version of pretend. I love being an actor, pretending to be other folks.” Bridges beat out competition from George Clooney for “Up in the Air,” Colin Firth for “A Single Man,” Morgan Freeman for “Invictus” and Jeremy Renner for Iraq war drama “The Hurt Locker.” Bullock triumphed for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in “The Blind Side,” the true story of how the southern housewife took in homeless black teen Michael Oher, who went on to become an American football star. “If this were only not televised so I could use the appropriate words I’m feeling right now,” Bullock, 45, said in her acceptance speech, which included a heartfelt tribute to her husband of five years Jesse James. “You get dressed up in monkey suits and sit at tables with people you don’t know,” Bullock said. “I love you so much and you’re really hot and I want you so much” … In the supporting actor categories, Austria’s Christoph Waltz followed up his success at the Golden Globes to underscore his status as Oscars favorite. Waltz won for his performance as a deranged Nazi officer in “Inglourious Basterds” … The best supporting actress award was also a repeat of the Golden Globes, with Mo’nique taking home the statuette for her performance as an abusive parent in the gritty drama “Precious.”

Michael C. Hall took home an award for his work on Dexter, Tina Fey won for 30 Rock, Drew Barrymore won for her work on Grey Gardens and, as I mentioned above, Glee took home the TV ensemble award last night. I truly hope these SAG Award winners do foreshadow what will happen at the Academy Awards this year. Inglorious Basterds is a much more deserving film of the Best Picture award and I would be quite happy if that film won the Oscar this year. Click HERE to see the full list of Screen Actors Guild Award winners last night and find out if your faves took home awards last night.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

I absolutely love ME some Helen Mirren. There is far too little of this amazing woman on the blogosphere … I quite like posting pics of her from time to time … she just rules all.

[Photo credit: Splash News]