This Year's 6 Best SAG Awards Speeches: Kieran Culkin, Timothée Chalamet, Demi Moore

The 2025 SAG Awards delivered on all fronts last night in Los Angeles, offering a glittering mix of heartfelt tributes, cheeky one-liners, and moments we won’t soon forget. Hosted by the ever-charming Kristen Bell—who delivered a pitch-perfect Frozen parody and a cheeky Gossip Girl-style narration—the night offered everything from shock upsets to unforgettable pop culture moments.

Bell set the tone with her sharp wit, but it was the winners who truly stole the show. With Wicked getting shut out of all five of its nominations and Conclave taking home Best Cast in a Motion Picture, emotions ran high. When Only Murders in the Building snagged Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series, Selena Gomez delivered a speech filled with gratitude and shock, weaving in heartfelt shoutouts to her co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short. The night also struck a playful note when Keke Palmer and Colman Domingo led a Law & Order-themed drinking game, resulting in a roomful of raised glasses—because, really, who in Hollywood hasn’t done a stint on the iconic franchise?

Amid the jokes and jabs, many winners embraced their awards speech moment to speak their truth. From political undertones to razor-sharp satire, winners in 2025 took full advantage of their time at the microphone. Keep scrolling to see who gave this year's must-see speeches, including Kieran Culkin, Jane Fonda, Timothée Chalamet, and more.

Jane Fonda Pleads For Empathy

When receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to film, Jane Fonda gave a moving speech on the state of society. And in her typical fashion, she didn’t mince words. She discussed her career and how her love for acting stems from "opening people’s minds to new ideas," but more importantly, it stems from helping viewers laugh when times are tough like now. Fonda stressed the importance of community, especially as so many are losing their jobs. But perhaps the most important part of her speech came right after when she explained the word "woke."

"And by the way, woke just means you give a damn about other people," she quipped. Fonda concluded by asking the audience to find some empathy and resist what the US has coming under the new Trump administration. Watch Fonda's speech.

Kieran Culkin Disses Adrien Brody

Would it be a Kieran Culkin acceptance speech without his trademark satire? Accepting the award for his role in A Real Pain, Culkin started off with some levity quickly by joking about how heavy the award was. He then continued saying he didn’t think anyone could hold the award for the allotted 45 seconds, and then, he took a playful jab at actor Adrien Brody. “There was no reason to take that shot. I love you. It’s a joke,” Culkin said after. Watch Culkin’s speech.

Anna Sawai Says Goodbye to Shōgun

The Shōgun actor took to the stage to accept her award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series and was overcome with emotion. “I’m very happy but I’m also kind of sad because this is probably the last time I’m able to celebrate with you guys,” Sawai said to her castmates tearfully. She went on to express gratitude to her team and those who watched the show. Watch Sawai’s speech.

Timothée Chalamet Makes SAG Awards History

After his two previous losses in the category, Chalamet finally took home the SAG Award for Best Actor thanks to his portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. And the honor was not lost on him. Chalamet was visibly shocked when his name was announced and embraced his mother before making his way to the stage. "The classiest thing would be to downplay the effort that went into this role and how much this means to me," he began. "But the truth is this was five and a half years of my life." Chalamet went on to express his gratitude to his co-stars Elle Fanning, Edward Norton, Monica Barbaro and to declare he was in the pursuit of greatness. He is the youngest to win Best Actor in SAG Awards history. Watch Chalamet’s speech.

Jamie Lee Curtis Reveals Who Gave Her COVID

To present the award for Best Actor in a Limited Series, Jamie Lee Curtis dropped some unexpected, albeit unnecessary information. When she opened the envelope to announce the winner, she said, “And the winner goes to... the man who gave me covid at the Golden Globes: Colin Farrell.” Once onstage to accept his award, Farrell responded saying “Guilty as charged. But Brendan Gleeson fucking gave it to me! So I was just spreading the love.” Watch Curtis’ remarks.

Demi Moore's First-Ever SAG Award Win 

In keeping with her acceptance speech at the 2025 Golden Globes, Demi Moore’s SAG Award speech was just as emotional. “This is extraordinary and so deeply meaningful,” she started off. Moore proceeded to recollect when she first got her SAG Aftra membership in the 1970s and how it gave her true purpose and direction. She then extended great gratitude to her team and agency, but most importantly those who’ve stood behind her over her nearly five decade career. Moore closed by encouraging young actors not to “lose sight of human connection” and to believe in themselves. Watch Moore's speech.