Squid Game made history at the 2022 Screen Actor’s Guild Awards by becoming the first non-English-language TV series to win acting prizes.

The South Korean thriller series became a monster hit when it was released on Netflix last year and takes place in a dystopian near-future in which those suffering from crippling debt enter a contest to play children’s games for money prizes.

But the contestants soon realise that the game is more sinister than they imagined, as the losers are executed by armed guards, while each death adds more money to the eventual jackpot.

It took home three out of the four nods that it was up for at the star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday, including Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, and Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series.

Taking to the stage, Lee Jung-jae, declared his victory over Succession stars Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin, and The Morning Show’s Billy Crudup in the Best Actor category to be “truly huge.”

He stars as Seong Gi-hun, also known as Player 456, a gambling addict who hopes to win to help pay off his debts and to regain custody of his daughter, who is set to move to the United States with her mother.

Speaking via a translator, the clearly stunned star said: “Oh my, thank you so much! This is truly huge that it’s happened to me,” Lee said while accepting his award on stage. “I did write something but I don’t think I’ll get to reading it.

“Thank you so much SAG-AFTRA awards and thank you to the global audience for all of your love for Squid Game.

“And thank you Squid Game team,” he concluded to cheers and applause by his delighted co-stars.

Not long after, Jung Ho-yeon was moved to tears when her name was called out for the Best Actress prize.

Jung was recognised for her role as North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok, who hopes to win the game so that she can use the money to rescue her parents.

Also speaking through a translator, she said: ‘First and foremost, thank you so much. I have sat many a times watching you on the big screen, dreaming of one day becoming an actor. I just want to say thank you so much.’

She then switched to English to tell the show’s crew: “I love you!’

Jung won out against an impressive field including The Morning Show’s Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Succession actress Sarah Snook.

The 2022 SAG Awards full list of winners are as below.

Film categories:

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

CODA Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Durant, Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (WINNER)

Belfast — Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Jude Hill, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan

Don’t Look Up — Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ariana Grande, Jonah Hill, Jennifer Lawrence, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Mescudi, Rob Morgan, Himesh Patel, Ron Perlman, Tyler Perry, Mark Rylance, Meryl Streep

House of Gucci — Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, Salma Hayek, Jack Huston, Jeremy Irons, Jared Leto, Al Pacino

King Richard — Jon Bernthal, Aunjanue Ellis, Tony Goldwyn, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Will Smith

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) (WINNER)

Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter)

Lady Gaga (House of Gucci)

Jennifer Hudson (Respect)

Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Will Smith (King Richard) (WINNER)

Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos)

Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog)

Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick … Boom!)

Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) (WINNER)

Caitriona Balfe (Belfast)

Cate Blanchett (Nightmare Alley)

Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog)

Ruth Negga (Passing)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Troy Kotsur (CODA) (WINNER)

Ben Affleck (The Tender Bar)

Bradley Cooper (Licorice Pizza)

Jared Leto (House of Gucci)

Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

No Time to Die (WINNER)

Black Widow

Dune

The Matrix: Resurrections

Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

TV categories:

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

Succession — Nicholas Braun, Juliana Canfield, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Dagmara Dominczyk, Peter Friedman, Jihae, Justine Lupe, Matthew Macfadyen, Dasha Nekrasova, Scott Nicholson, David Rasche, Alan Ruck, J. Smith-Cameron, Sarah Snook, Fisher Stevens, Jeremy Strong, Zoë Winters (WINNER)

The Handmaid’s Tale — Alexis Bledel, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, Joseph Fiennes, Sam Jaeger, Max Minghella, Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Bradley Whitford, Samira Wiley

The Morning Show — Jennifer Aniston, Shari Belafonte, Eli Bildner, Nestor Carbonell, Steve Carell, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Amber Friendly, Janina Gavankar, Valeria Golino, Tara Karsian, Hannah Leder, Greta Lee, Julianna Margulies, Joe Marinelli, Michelle Meredith, Ruairi O’Connor,Joe Pacheco, Karen Pittman, Victoria Tate, Desean K. Terry, Reese Witherspoon

Squid Game — Heo Sung-Tae, Jun Young-Soo, Jung Ho-Yeon, Kim Joo-Ryoung, Lee Byung-Hun, Lee Jung-Jae, Oh Young-Soo, Park Hae-Soo, Anupam Tripathi, Wi Ha-Jun

Yellowstone — Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley, Ryan Bingham, Gil Birmingham, Ian Bohen, Eden Brolin, Kevin Costner, Hugh Dillon, Luke Grimes, Hassie Harrison, Cole Hauser, Jen Landon, Finn Little, Brecken Merrill, Will Patton, Piper Perabo, Kelly Reilly, Denim Richards, Taylor Sheridan, Forrie J. Smith, Jefferson White

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game) (WINNER)

Brian Cox (Succession)

Billy Crudup (The Morning Show)

Kieran Culkin (Succession)

Jeremy Strong (Succession)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

Jung Ho-yeon (Squid Game) (WINNER)

Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show)

Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)

Sarah Snook (Succession)

Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Ted Lasso — Annette Badland, Kola Bokinni, Phil Dunster, Cristo Fernández, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Toheeb Jimoh, Nick Mohammed, Sarah Niles, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Swift, Juno Temple, Hannah Waddingham (WINNER)

The Great — Julian Barratt, Belinda Bromilow, Sacha Dhawan, Elle Fanning, Phoebe Fox, Bayo Gbadamosi, Adam Godley, Douglas Hodge, Nicholas Hoult, Florence Keith-Roach, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield

Hacks — Rose Abdoo, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Paul W. Downs, Hannah Einbinder, Mark Indelicato, Poppy Liu, Chris McDonald, Jean Smart, Megan StalterThe Kominsky

Method — Jenna Lyng Adams, Sarah Baker, Casey Thomas Brown, Michael Douglas, Lisa Edelstein, Ashleigh Lathrop, Emily Osment, Haley Joel Osment, Paul Reiser, Graham Rogers, Melissa Tang, Kathleen Turner

Only Murders in the Building — Aaron Dominguez, Selena Gomez, Jackie Hoffman, Jayne Houdyshell, Steve Martin, Amy Ryan, Martin Short

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) (WINNER)

Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)

Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso)

Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building)

Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

Jean Smart (Hacks) (WINNER)

Elle Fanning (The Great)

Sandra Oh (The Chair)

Juno Temple (Ted Lasso)

Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

Michael Keaton (Dopesick) (WINNER)

Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus)

Oscar Isaac (Scenes From a Marriage)

Ewan McGregor (Halston)

Evan Peters (Mare of Easttown)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown) (WINNER)

Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus)

Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha)

Margaret Qualley (Maid)

Jean Smart (Mare of Easttown)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series Squid Game (WINNER)

Cobra Kai

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Loki

Mare of Easttown