On Sunday the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films held their 53rd annual Saturn Awards in Burbank, California. Star Trek was a big part of the event with several celebrities and producers on hand for the franchise to receive a special Hall of Fame Award, inspiring other winners to talk about their love of Trek. Unfortunately Strange New Worlds, which was nominated for three awards, didn’t add to Trek’s list of Saturn wins.
Star Trek enters Saturn Hall of Fame
The big event for Star Trek at the Saturn Awards the Hall of Fame Award, which the Saturns brought back after decades in honor of the franchise’s 60th anniversary. Accepting the award on behalf of Star Trek, executive producer Alex Kurtzman spoke about the endurance of Gene Roddenberry’s vision:
“He understood something fundamental about the nature of science fiction and genre storytelling, which is science fiction isn’t really about the future, it’s about now. It’s the prism, the magnifying glass in which we examine ourselves, the state of humanity, who we are, what we’re capable of, and where we’re going. And it was such a powerful idea that this lasted for 60 years, because each iteration of Star Trek has been interpreted and reinterpreted by people who are so inspired by the message of Star Trek.”
Alex Kurtzman, Rod Roddenberry and the stars of Star Trek at the Saturn Awards 2026 (Photo: Curtis Dahl/Saturn Awards)
Gene’s son Rod (also an executive producer on modern Star Trek) first thanked the fans who he said “have been the lifeblood of Star Trek.” He then spoke about Gene’s journey from pilot to policeman to screenwriter and how he put his learned experiences into the series:
“My father was always asking the same questions, not just who we are, but more importantly, who we could be. This is the heart of Star Trek. He knew we were indeed flawed, but he knew we were capable of learning, capable of growing, and perhaps most importantly, capable of rising above the fear and division that continually tries to hold us back. At its core, Star Trek speaks to the best in all of us. This is why it’s lasted 60 years, and I’ll guarantee you, as long as we keep these messages and ideals prominent in Star Trek, it’ll last 60 more.”
There was a wide spectrum of Star Trek stars on hand for the event, including Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Christina Chong, Ethan Peck, Robert Picardo, Jeri Ryan, Doug Jones, Todd Stashwick, Bella Shepard, and Kerrice Brooks. Karl Urban and Jack Quaid were also at the event, doubling up for Star Trek and The Boys, which was also picking up a special award.
The OG captain Kirk, William Shatner, was also at the event and he, too, accepted the Hall of Fame Award on behalf of the franchise. He spent most of his time on stage talking about his long history with the Saturn Awards, including his famous “Rocket Man” performance back in 1978.
William Shatner at the Saturn Awards 2026 (Photo: Curtis Dahl/Saturn Awards)
Star Trek was so prominent at the event, it even worked its way into other acceptance speeches. Accepting the award for Best Action/Adventure Television series, Duster co-creator and executive producer LaToya Morgan talked about how she grew up on Star Trek and the series inspired her to become a writer. Similar sentiments were shared by Pluribus creator Vince Gilligan, accepting the award for Best New Genre Television Series.
Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas was honored with the Saturn’s Robert Forster Artist’s Award for his career in genre, and during his speech he pointed to how he learned the craft from Star Trek vets like Brannon Braga. In the press room, Matalas told TrekMovie about how to this day, he always carries with him the lessons he learned starting off his career as a PA on Star Trek: Voyager back in the 1990s: “My time with Star Trek still stays with me, even being on my own show and understanding what everyone does on that set and how they are vital.”
The third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was up for four Saturn awards. Sadly, SNW lost out for Best Science Fiction Television Series to Andor. Three actors were also up for awards. Ethan Peck was nominated for the third time for his role as Spock as Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series, but lost out to Stellan Skarsgard (Andor). His co-star Christina Chong (La’an Noonien Singh) got her first nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series, but lost out to Karolina Wydra (Pluribus). And finally, Paul Wesley (James T. Kirk), who won the award for Best Guest Star in a Television Series for season 2 back in 2024, was not able to repeat his win for season 3. He lost out to Dave Dastmalchian (Dexter: Resurrection).
Peck and Chong (along with her dog Runa) were at the awards, and they did appear on stage together to present a couple of awards.
Discovery star Doug Jones, also a presenter for the Saturn Awards in 2026, brought his usual flair to the event.
Star Trek: Voyager writer and Discovery co-creator Bryan Fuller was a winner as the writer, producer, and director of the fantasy movie Dust Bunny, which won Best Independent Film. He accepted the award with one of the stars of the film, Sophie Sloan.
Finally, here are some more Saturn Awards 2026 red carpet moments with Star Trek celebs (via Getty).
Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner introduced William Shatner.
More to come from the Saturn Awards
TrekMovie was on the red carpet and had a chance to speak to some of the Star Trek luminaries attending the event. Those interviews will begin appearing here soon.
First #startrek celebrity at #saturnawards. Doug Jones [image or embed] — TrekMovie.com (@trekmovie.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 3:22 PM
First #startrek celebrity at #saturnawards. Doug Jones
— TrekMovie.com (@trekmovie.bsky.social) March 8, 2026 at 3:22 PM
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