Oppenheimer has picked up three prizes, including the top honour, at Hollywood’s Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, boosting the historical epic’s chances of grabbing the Oscar for best picture next month.

Axar.az reports that Christopher Nolan’s portrayal of Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, won the award for best movie cast, historically a strong predictor for the Oscars, at the star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Cillian Murphy, who plays the titular character, won Best Movie Actor, while co-star Robert Downey Jr picked up the Best Supporting Actor trophy for playing his bitter rival.

“This is extremely special to me because it comes from you guys,” Murphy said as he accepted his award.

The ceremony was the first gala organised by SAG-AFTRA, which represents some 160,000 entertainment industry professionals since the union held its longest-ever strike last year.

The show was also streamed live on Netflix, a first for a Tinseltown ceremony.