Martin Short's Big Awards Upset Over Jeremy Allen White Just Ended A Disappointing 3-Year Streak (& Is Bad News For The Bear)

Martin Short has finally dethroned Jeremy Allen White's role in The Bearafter three years of disappointment, which isn't a great sign for the FX series. The 2025 SAG Awards Winners are packed with names from the most celebrated actors in the industry, with 74-year-old actor and comedian Martin Short winning the award for the first time in his 53-year career. The biggest shock was his win over Jeremy Allen White, an actor who's already been the recipient of the award twice in this decade alone.

Only Murders in the Building and The Bear are two of the most celebrated comedy shows of the 2020s, and both titles have been piling up award nominations at the Emmys, Golden Globes, and, of course, the SAG Awards. There's been some debate on whether The Bear is a comedy due to the show's dramatic performances contributing to the award victories for the actors. It's helped Jeremy Allen White to win the SAG Award in the Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series award in both 2023 and 2024, with this year's ending his streak.

Martin Short Finally Won A SAG Award For Outstanding Actor In A Comedy Series After Losing In 2022 & 2024

Martin Short Has Won A Long-Overdue SAG Award

After losing in 2022 and 2024, Martin Short finally won the SAG Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Show for Only Murders in the Building at 2025's ceremony. This is a huge win for the series, which has been nominated for eight SAG Awards and has only won twice. It's been a difficult few years for any comedy series competing for awards that's not named The Bear, as it's been sweeping practically every major show. Only Murders in the Building has also lost all of its sixteen Golden Globe nominations and fifteen Emmy nominations.

this is the first victory he's taken, and it's impressive that it was over Jeremy Allen White.

Martin Short has never been nominated for a SAG Award prior to his role on Only Murders in the Building, but he's now been nominated for three out of his four seasons in the show. He's also been nominated four times for being part of the show's ensemble. In both cases, this is the first victory he's taken, and it's impressive that it was over Jeremy Allen White.

Why Martin Short Beat Jeremy Allen White At The 2025 SAG Awards – Upset Explained

The Bear Has Been Sweeping Awards For Years

To put it simply, The Bear has dominated every award show it's taken part in for the past few years. The first and second seasons of the series swept practically every category they were nominated for. The series has been nominated for 36 Emmys, taking home 21 of them. As for the SAG Awards, Jeremy Allen White has won twice, Ayo Edebiri won once, Ebon Moss-Bachrach was nominated once, and the ensemble won one of its two nominations. That's an incredible track record, and shows like that generally keep the momentum going for years.

In Only Murders in the Building's 2025 SAG Awards ensemble win speech, Selena Gomez noted that they "never win."

Consider awards juggernauts, like Succession and Game of Thrones, that continued to win throughout their runs. The Bear even saw Jeremy Allen White win a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy earlier this year. Martin Short was a clear underdog in this category at the SAG Awards, but it's wonderful to see a veteran actor awarded for his outstanding work. Not to mention, Only Murders in the Building is arguably a more traditional comedy series, and Short is known for his comedic work.

Martin Short's SAG Comedy Actor Win Means The Bear's Awards Sweeps Could End With Season 3

The Bear Season 3 Was A Step Down In Quality

As mentioned, The Bear swept awards shows throughout its first and second seasons. However, The Bear's third season was less well-reviewed, with many viewers considering it to be a step down from the previous iterations. The season delved into more experimental material, and while its efforts to develop unique television are worth consideration in their own right, it detracted from a series that's best known for its character work. Still, episodes like "Napkins" were impressive, allowing those characters to shine through, with Tina getting extra attention.

Jeremy Allen White as Carmen in The Bear

I Can't Wait For The Bear Season 4, And These 5 Convincing Theories Make It Even More Exciting

After falling in love with The Bear in 2022, I’m eager to see how the show ends in season 4, and these theories make the anticipation even greater.

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The Bear's third season already suffered at the Golden Globes, losing out on categories it was expected to win. Now, with losses at the SAG Awards for Jeremy Allen White and the ensemble cast, the show's Emmy chances might also be hurt. The Bear returns later in 2025 for season 4, which will hopefully be a return to form for the beloved FX series. For now, it's great to see some real competition in comedy categories, as Only Murders in the Building has been celebrated by viewers for years.