For the first time ever, the Screen Actors Guild Awards are set to have a host, with Kristen Bell tapped to emcee the ceremony in January. And now, the SAGs are making another big change, this time involving even more women.

In an interview with the New York Times, Bell, Kathy Connell (the executive producer of the awards show), and Sandra Dewey (a president at Turner Broadcasting, which is airing the telecast on its TBS and TNT networks) revealed that all 13 of the SAG Awards acting prizes -- as well as its two stunt awards, given out before the broadcast -- will be presented by women. Nominees for the 2018 SAG Awards were announced on Wednesday by the female duo of Niecy Nash and Olivia Munn.

At previous SAG ceremonies, awards have typically been given out by male-female teams. The nominees for best ensemble -- the SAG equivalent of Best Picture -- will still be presented at the ceremony by both men and women, though only women will hand out trophies to the winners. A list of presenters is expected to be announced shortly.

Connell told the Times that the idea for including an all-female roster of presenters came to her back in January, when she attended the Women's March in Washington, D.C. with her daughter. But it became especially important to the producer in the wake of the sexual harassment scandal that has enveloped Hollywood in recent months, led by the accusations against mega producer Harvey Weinstein.

"I want to salute women who are coming forward to speak at a very difficult time about very difficult subjects at great risk to themselves," Connell explained to the Times.

According to Bell, this move has special meaning to her, with her own history-making role in the proceedings.

"I'm not the first female host," the actress told the Times. "I'm the first host. The fact that a female was chosen to be the first one means my genitals become irrelevant."

The 24th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will air on January 21, 2018 on TBS and TNT.

[via: The New York Times]