2018’s Hollywood blockbuster, Black Panther scooped the top award at the 25th Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, giving the film a strong chance at the Oscars, which are scheduled for February.

Black Panther won the best ensemble cast award in a motion picture.

“We all know what it’s like to be told that there is not a place for you to be featured, yet you are young, gifted and black,” lead actor Chadwick Boseman said while receiving the award.

The Screen Actors Guild awards are generally considered one of the most reliable bellwethers of the Academy Awards, with previous events showing that SAG awards account for a major percentage of the 8,000-odd Oscar voters.

With the SAG bragging rights,  Black Panther is now poised as a serious contender for the best picture  at the Oscars.

“Seven #OscarNoms for Black Panther, including best picture!! This is our reaction the first time we saw footage from the film and we’re feeling this way all over again today! Thank you,” Lupita Nyong’o said on her Facebook.

BLACK PANTHER SEQUEL CONFIRMED

In March 2018, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that a Black Panther sequel was in the making.