Sean Penn Takes
SAG Best Actor for Milk

As awards season heats up, Sean Penn has emerged as an early front-runner to win an Oscar after taking home top honors at Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Penn took home the night's Best Actor prize for his critically praised performance as gay rights activist turned politician Harvey Milk. The film was largely overlooked by the Golden Globes - Penn scored the film's only nomination and was beaten by The Wrestler's comeback kid, Mickey Rourke.

Rourke and Penn are now largely seen as the ones to beat at February's Oscars. Milk scored eight nominations when the Academy Award nominees were announced last week.

"As actors we don't play gay, straight ... we play human beings," Penn said upon accepting the award. "[I'm] so appreciative of this acknowledgment. This is a story of equal rights for all human beings. Thanks. Gus Van Sant, Lance Black, the counsel of Cleve Jones and the great Harvey Milk."

This year's SAG Awards also paid tribute to some of the most notable LGBT moments in entertainment -- a clip reel featuring scenes from Ellen, Brokeback Mountain, and Philadelphia was included in the evening's movie montage. (Advocate.com)