“Doubt,” John Patrick Shanley’s film adaptation of his eponymous play, topped the contenders list on Thursday for the Screen Actors Guild Awards by collecting five nominations, including honors for cast members Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis.

 

The late Heath Ledger also received a nomination in the best supporting actor category for his incredible performance as the villainous Joker in blockbuster “The Dark Knight,’ which also helped him become an Academy Award favorite. The Batman movie also earned a nomination for best stunt ensemble.

 

Meryl Streep collected a lead-actress nomination, while her co-stars are competing in supporting actor and actress categories.

 

“Doubt” was also nominated in the overall cast performance category, along with “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” starring Brad Pitt, the Nixon saga “Frost/Nixon,” Gus Van Sant’s biopic “Milk” and the Danny Boyle-directed film “Slumdog Millionaire.”

 

Kate Winslet enjoyed success as well, as she grabbed a couple of nominations, best actress for her performance in “Revolutionary Road” and supporting actress for “The Reader.” Kate Winslet will compete for the best actress prize with Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway (“Rachel Getting Married”), Angelina Jolie (“Changeling”) and Melissa Leo (“Frozen River”).

 

The list of best actor nominees included Richard Jenkins (“The Visitor”), Frank Langella (“Frost/Nixon”), Sean Penn (“Milk”), Brad Pitt (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), as well as Mickey Rourke (“The Wrestler”).

 

The 15^th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be broadcast live by TNT and TBS on January 25, just four weeks before the Academy Awards are scheduled to be held.

 

According to telecast producer Kathy Connell, the result of the strike authorization vote is unlikely to affect the show. The ballots should go out on January 2 and are programmed to be tallied just a couple of days before the SAG Awards take place.