The 11th Screen Actors Guild awards ceremony was held in Los Angeles, paving the way for the best actors to get Oscars later this month.

Hilary Swank won best actress award for the role of a boxer in Million Dollar Baby by Clint Eastwood. As Reuters said she proved that “the only thing worse than reading from a list of thank-yous was attempting to say all of them without the benefit of a list.”

Jamie Foxx won best actor in the film biography for the role of a sole singer Ray Charles.

The ABC network cult television series Desperate Housewives was named best ensemble TV comedy series. Teri Hatcher, who plays man-hungry divorcee Susan Mayer, won best actress in a TV comedy series for her performance on the show.

Sideways became a surprise knockout over favorites Million Dollar Baby and Howard Hughes’ biopic The Aviator by winning the top prize for best ensemble acting.

The best supporting male actor award was taken by Morgan Freeman for the role of a prizefighter in Million Dollar Baby. Cate Blanchett won the award for best supporting actress for playing Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator.