Why Martin Short Wasn’t at the SAG Awards to Accept His Big Win
Martin Short won big at the 2025 SAG Awards. But he wasn’t at the ceremony when he took home his first-ever solo SAG Award win. Why? The Only Murders in the Building (OMITB) star was sick and therefore had to skip the Los Angeles, Calif., awards show.
Short wasn’t at the SAG Awards because he has COVID-19
Coronavirus (COVID-19) kept Short from the SAG Awards on Feb. 23, 2025. A rep for the actor shared that Short “was not able to attend due to Covid” in a statement, per Deadline.
That meant the 74-year-old wasn’t there to accept his first SAG Award win for Male Actor In a Comedy Series for his performance as Oliver Putnam on OMITB. The Emmy and Tony winner also missed out on taking the stage for a second time when OMITB won for Comedy Ensemble.
Short addressed his SAG Award win for ‘Only Murders in the Building’ in a statement
Despite not being at the SAG Awards in person, Short did react to his win. He commented on winning the award for Male Actor In a Comedy Series in a message his rep shared in the aforementioned statement.
“The honor of being in Only Murders In The Building is the most spectacular compliment anyone could be given,” Short said in the statement. “The honor of being awarded by your peers is even greater. Thank you so so much.”
Had Short not come down with COVID, he presumably still wouldn’t have attended the ceremony. Why? Because he and his OMITB co-star and longtime collaborator, Steve Martin, were scheduled to headline an event in Knoxville, Tenn., the night of the ceremony. So, had Short been in good health, he still would’ve been absent from the SAG Awards. As for Martin, his reps said a scheduling conflict was behind his absence.
Previously, Martin, whose reps said he had a scheduling conflict with the SAG Awards, announced Short had contracted COVID on Instagram, saying “the SNL 50th Covid curse is real.” (Both Short and Martin appeared on the SNL50 TV special on Feb. 16, 2025.)
Selena Gomez joked Short and Steve Martin weren’t at there because they ‘don’t care’
Short and Martin’s absence didn’t go by without a mention from their OMITB co-star Selena Gomez. The 32-year-old took the stage to accept the series’ award win for Ensemble In a Comedy Series. With her were other OMITB Season 4 stars, Richard Kind, Michael Cyril Creighton, Molly Shannon, and Kumail Nanjiani.
“We never win. This is so weird,” Gomez said on stage after appearing visibly shocked when the show’s name was called. “Marty and Steve aren’t here because…you know, they don’t really care,” she joked before continuing on.
Gomez also thanked Martin and Short “for helping raise me.”
Watch OMITB Seasons 1-4 on Hulu.
