After the Golden Globes and BAFTAs, the 2026 Actor Awards have arrived for heartfelt speeches and headline-making moments. The newly rebranded ceremony also introduces its first-ever red carpet theme, which is to reimagine the 20s and ’30s Hollywood era. Nominees and presenters embraced the spirit of the era, strutting the red carpets in shimmering fabrics and vintage-inspired silhouettes. 

Kicking off the evening’s magic was none other than host Kristen Bell, who turned heads on the red carpet with her charming look and effortless grace.

Before stepping in to take on her hosting duties for the night, Kristen Bell smiled and posed for the pictures on the red carpet. For the 2026 Actor Awards, she wore a stunning Georges Hobeika Couture gown. Keeping the theme in mind, the sheer design had awe-inspiring Art Deco beading throughout the dress and was paired with a satin overskirt.

She completed her couture look with Messika jewelry and Rene Caovilla shoes. The 45-year-old Nobody Wants This star clearly raised the bar too high this year. After all, this was her third time hosting the show. 

And she appeared just as excited as the nominees and presenters in attendance for the big night. After posing for photos, Kristen also spoke about the event and revealed that she had spent over a month getting ready to host, carefully working through the comedy bits. She also hinted that there will be more jokes while speaking of the name change.

“Like, are we going to talk about the name change? My vote was, yeah, A, because it is the only year you can do it because this is the year of the name change and, B, I think there’s a lot of comedy to mine within that,” she told Variety.

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Now, the name change is something that needs to be addressed at the event by the host. However, before that, it is important to understand the reason behind the shift.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards have been a familiar name since it began the tradition of honoring actors and talent in 1995. Last year, the event underwent a massive change on November 14, 2025, when it was renamed The Actor Awards. Although ‘SAG’ has been dropped from the name, the purpose of the event remains the same.

“The statuette has always been called The Actor, and we’re simply aligning the show’s title with the name of the award itself and the union behind it," a column on the official Actor Awards website read.

Several big names showed up for the event. Teyana Taylor, Odessa A’zion, Damson Idris, Kate Hudson, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Jessie Buckley, Rose Byrne, and many more were in attendance. With a new identity and a star-studded crowd in Shrine Auditorium, the 2026 Actor Awards’ mission to honor actors clearly has not changed. 

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What do you think about Kristen Bell's look for the Actors Awards 2026? Let us know in the comments.