"Spotlight" tops at SAG Awards

"Spotlight," a film based on the true story of investigative journalism on sexual abuse by Catholic priests, won the top prize of best ensemble cast at the 22nd Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Saturday.

Accepting the award on behalf of the cast, Mark Ruffalo said the movie shed light on "one of the most horrific things that our culture has allowed to happen."

"And this movie allows them (victims of sexual abuse by priests) to be seen in the world, in a world that has been blind to them," he said.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Brie Larson were named best actor and best actress respectively, raising their hopes for Oscars.

DiCaprio, 41, claimed his first SAG Award in nine nominations for his role as a frontiersman who is left to die in "The Revenant." He has already won a Golden Globe, and is a Oscar front-runner.

Larson, who also won a Golden Globe earlier this month, won her first SAG Award for her role as a mother held captive with her young son in "Room."

Alicia Vikander, a 27-year-old Swedish actress, was named best supporting actress for her work in "The Danish Girl." It was her first win and first SAG nomination.

In the television category, "Downton Abbey" won its second straight and third overall SAG Award for outstanding cast in a drama series. Netflix's "Orange is the New Black" was named best ensemble cast in a comedy series for the second straight year.

The two-hour ceremony, held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, was particularly notable for the number of awards won by black performers amid a controversy over the lack of diversity in this year's list of Oscar nominees and in Hollywood in general.

British actor Idris Elba won best supporting actor for Netflix's "Beasts of No Nation," and U.S. actress Queen Latifah scooped best actress for HBO's TV miniseries "Bessie." Endi