(CNN) The Screen Actors Guild Awards made clear that politics are going to be an integral part of award shows, as one performer after another voiced antagonism toward Trump administration policies.

The so-called "Muslim ban" dominated comments from presenters and recipients Sunday. To those who might be inclined to tell artists to shut up and sing or act, the evening offered a concerted rejoinder, subjecting President Trump to rebukes that ranged from mockery to more sober indictments to stirring statements about unity and how recent government actions are antithetical to American values.

The same themes emerged the night before, at the untelevised Producers Guild of America honors. That ceremony also heightened the more prosaic sense that "La La Land" is the movie to beat for this year's Oscar, given a historic correlation between winning there and the Academy Awards.

Obviously, not everyone agrees with the politics expressed, and it's become a popular trope to criticize out-of-touch stars for lecturing the rest of the country. The sheer weight of the sentiments voiced Sunday, however, resulted in a more bracing telecast that was clearly about something, with a cohesive theme running throughout that went well beyond the customary thanking of cast mates, directors and agents.

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