The Producers Guild Honors Everything

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Yesterday, the Producers Guild announced its picks for the best films and television shows of 2022. With Everything Everywhere All At Once winning both her and with the Directors Guild, it’s perhaps time to admit that its victory at the Oscars in two weeks is feeling a bit like a done deal.

Here are the PGA winners:

The Award For Outstanding Producer Of A Feature Theatrical Motion Picture
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Banshees of Inisherin
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Tár
Top Gun: Maverick
The Whale

The Award For Outstanding Producer Of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Turning Red

The Award For Outstanding Producer Of Documentary Motion Pictures
All That Breathes
Descendant
Fire of Love
Navalny
Nothing Compares
Retrograde
The Territory

Norman Felton Award For Outstanding Producer Of Episodic Television – Drama
Andor
Better Call Saul
Ozark
Severance
The White Lotus

Danny Thomas Award For Outstanding Producer Of Episodic Television – Comedy
Abbott Elementary
Barry
The Bear
Hacks
Only Murders in the Building

Award For Outstanding Producer Of Limited Or Anthology Series Television
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
The Dropout
Inventing Anna
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Pam & Tommy

Award For Outstanding Producer Of Non-Fiction Television
30 for 30
60 Minutes
George Carlin’s American Dream
Lucy and Desi
Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy

Award For Outstanding Producer Of Live Entertainment, Variety, Sketch, Standup & Talk Television
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live

Award For Outstanding Producer Of Game & Competition Television
The Amazing Race
Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars
Top Chef
The Voice

Here Are The Nominations Of The Producers Guild!

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Producers Guild announced their nominations for the best of 2022 today! The Producers Guild is usually seen as being one of the more reliable Oscar precursors out there. While getting a PGA nomination doesn’t necessarily guarantee that a film will be nominated, being snubbed by the PGA can often knock a film out of contention.

This year, there are two surprises in the nominees, One is The Whale, which has been getting a lot of attention for Brendan Fraser’s performance but which hasn’t really be spoken of as a probable Best Picture nominee. The other, at least for me, is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Despite good reviews and a probable Oscar nomination for Angela Bassett, Wakanda Forever is another film that many had written off as a potential Best Picture nominee.

Women Talking received neither a DGA or a PGA nomination so it could be in trouble. Babylon was also snubbed by both the PGA and the DGA but it was nominated by SAG and it’s a film about actors. So right now, I’m feeling a lot better about Babylon’s chances than the chances of Women Talking.

For the record, if the Best Picture lineup mirrored the PGA nominees, that would mean that 4 sequels would be nominated for Best Picture in one year. That would definitely be a record, as well as a reflection of where Hollywood is at as an industry right now.

(Previous sequels that have been nominated for Best Picture include The Bells of St. Mary’s, The Godfather Part II, The Godfather Part III, The Silence of the Lambs, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Toy Story 3, and Mad Max: Fury Road. One could say that Black Panther should also be listed here, considering that it can be argued that every film in the MCU is technically a sequel to Iron Man and T’Challa and Wakanda were both first introduced in Captain America: Civil War. With both Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of the Water looking pretty solid for nominations, 2022 will probably be the first year that multiple sequels with be nominated.)

Anyway, here are the nominations of the Producers Guild!

The Award for Outstanding Producer of a Feature Theatrical Motion Picture
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Banshees of Inisherin
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Tár
Top Gun: Maverick
The Whale

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Turning Red

The PGA Names CODA The Best of 2021

Posted on March 20, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I’m a little late in reporting this but last night, the Producers Guild of America announced their picks for the best of 2021 and they promptly threw the Oscar race into chaos by selecting CODA, instead of the Power of the Dog. Today, there’s a lot of people talking about the possibility of DGA winner Jane Campion taking Best Director while CODA, which also won the SAG Ensemble Award, takes Best Picture.

It could happen. We’ll find out for sure next Sunday!

The Award for Outstanding Producer of a Feature Theatrical Motion Picture
Being The Ricardos
Belfast
CODA
Don’t Look Up
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
The Power Of The Dog
Tick, Tick…Boom!
West Side Story

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
Encanto
Luca
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Raya And The Last Dragon
Sing 2

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures
Ascension
The First Wave
Flee
In The Same Breath
The Rescue
Simple As Water
Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Writing With Fire

Here Are The 2021 Producers Guild Nominations!

Posted on January 27, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Producers Guild nominations is one of the biggest of the awards season precursors. The fact that neither Spider-Man: No Way Home nor No Way To Die were mentioned here probably means neither is going to pull off a surprise best picture nomination. So, it looks like Dune will get the blockbuster slot this year.

Both Being the Ricardos and Don’t Look Up were nominated. Don’t even get me started.

The Award for Outstanding Producer of a Feature Theatrical Motion Picture
Being The Ricardos
Belfast
CODA
Don’t Look Up
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
The Power Of The Dog
Tick, Tick…Boom!
West Side Story

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
Encanto
Luca
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Raya And The Last Dragon
Sing 2

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures
The PGA previously announced the nominations in this category on December 10th, 2021.

Ascension
The First Wave
Flee
In The Same Breath
The Rescue
Simple As Water
Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Writing With Fire

The Producers Guild Honors Nomadland

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Producers Guild announced its picks for the best of 2020-2021 last night and, not surprisingly, the winner for Best Film was Nomadland. Nomadland now pretty much how a clear road to winning the Academy Award for Best Picture at the end of April. I have to admit that I have yet to see it, even though I’ve got Hulu. I don’t know …. I just can’t work up any enthusiasm for the prospect of sitting through it.

Anyway, here are the PGA’s winners:

The Award for Outstanding Producer of a Feature Theatrical Motion Picture
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Judas and the Black Messiah
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mank
Minari
Nomadland
One Night in Miami
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
The Croods: A New Age
Onward
Over the Moon
Soul
Wolfwalkers

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
Dick Johnson Is Dead
My Octopus Teacher
Softie
A Thousand Cuts
Time
The Truffle Hunters

Here Are The Producers Guild Nominations!

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Producers Guild announced their nominees for the best of 2020 earlier today. A lot of people are expression shock that Borat picked up a nomination but it’s something that I’ve been predicting for a while now. The film industry is largely made up of Democrats and Sacha Baron Cohen has managed to convince a lot of otherwise intelligent people that his film was somehow essential to defeating Donald Trump.

(Seriously — do you know of any Trump supporters who changed their mind as a result of Borat or who even watched the movie?)

Borat was nominated. Da 5 Bloods and News of the World, two films that many are expecting to be Oscar nominated, were not. Does this mean that Borat is going to pick up an Oscar nomination? Perhaps. Then again, let’s not forget how excited people briefly were when Deadpool was nominated by the PGA a few years ago. And, before that, Nightcrawler.

In other words, we’ll see. (Personally, I think that Borat will be nominated. If they were willing to go for VIce, it’s hard to imagine the Academy not going for Borat.) The Oscar noms will be announced next week. Until then, here are the PGA Nominations!

The Award for Outstanding Producer of a Feature Theatrical Motion Picture
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Judas and the Black Messiah
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mank
Minari
Nomadland
One Night in Miami
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
The Croods: A New Age
Onward
Over the Moon
Soul
Wolfwalkers

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures
The PGA previously announced the nominations in this category on February 2nd, 2020.

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
Dick Johnson Is Dead
My Octopus Teacher
Softie
A Thousand Cuts
Time
The Truffle Hunters

Here Are The 2019 PGA Nominations

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Producer’s Guild of America announced their nominations for the best of 2019 today. The PGA, in general, is a pretty reliable precursor of what’s going to get nominated for best picture. Getting a PGA nomination does not, of course, mean that a film is automatically guaranteed to be nominated for an Oscar. But it certainly doesn’t hurt!

With that in mind, here are the PGA nominees for 2019:

PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA AWARDS 2020
The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures

1917
Producers: Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Jayne‐Ann Tenggren, Callum McDougall

Ford v Ferrari
Producers: Peter Chernin & Jenno Topping, James Mangold

The Irishman
Producers: Jane Rosenthal & Robert De Niro, Emma Tillinger Koskoff & Martin Scorsese

Jojo Rabbit
Producers: Carthew Neal, Taika Waititi

Joker
Producers: Todd Phillips & Bradley Cooper, Emma Tillinger Koskoff

Knives Out
Producers: Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman

Little Women
Producer: Amy Pascal

Marriage Story
Producers: Noah Baumbach, David Heyman

Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood
Producers: David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh, Quentin Tarantino

Parasite
Producers: Kwak Sin Ae, Bong Joon Ho

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures

Abominable
Producer: Suzanne Buirgy

Frozen II
Producer: Peter Del Vecho

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Producers: Bradford Lewis, Bonnie Arnold

Missing Link
Producers: Arianne Sutner, Travis Knight

Toy Story 4
Producers: Mark Nielsen, Jonas Rivera

I’m sad to see that Uncut Gems was not nominated. It has now missed out on the SAG, the DGA, and the PGA so, despite how much I like the film, it’s probably not going to be nominated. I know, I know. It’s amazing that the Academy would not nominate what I personally think they should nominate but incredibly enough, it happens.

That said, all of you Joker and Little Women fans should be happy. Though both films failed to pick up a DGA nomination today, the PGA should keep them both in the conversation.

The Oscar nominations will be announced on Monday!

Here Are The Producers Guild Nominations!

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Producer’s Guild of America, who are traditionally one of the most reliable of the Oscar precursors, announced their ten nominees for the best film of 2016 earlier today!

Not on the list: Martin Scorsese’s Silence. Last year, at this time, Silence was the most anticipated of the potential Oscar nominees. Now, 12 months later, whatever momentum that Silence had seems to have fizzled.

You know what film was on the list?

Deadpool!

Somehow, Deadpool has emerged as a legitimate Oscar contender. That doesn’t mean that it’s going to be nominated, of course. Last year, a lot of people made the mistake of getting excited when both Carol and Straight Outta Compton showed up among the Producers Guild’s nominations.

Here’s what we have to remember — every years, the PGA nominates 10 films. However, the Academy never nominates a full slate of 10 films. While the best picture nominees probably will all have received a PGA nomination, that doesn’t mean that every PGA nominee is going to be nominated for best picture.

Still, Deadpool is coming on strong with the guilds. It has some support among the industry.

A best picture nomination for Deadpool? Normally, I’d laugh that off. Then again, at one time, I also laughed off the idea that Mad Max: Fury Road would get a nomination, despite the fact that I thought Mad Max was one of the best films of 2015.

In the end, anything can happen. That’s one reason why Oscar watchers like me are always a little disappointed when the Oscar nominations are announced and the precursor season ends. During the precursor season, anything is possible.

Anyway, here are the PGA nominations:

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:

Arrival

Producers: Dan Levine, Shawn Levy, Aaron Ryder, David Linde

Deadpool

Producers: Simon Kinberg, Ryan Reynolds, Lauren Shuler Donner

Fences

Producers: Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington, Todd Black

Hacksaw Ridge

Producers: Bill Mechanic, David Permut

Hell or High Water

Producers: Carla Hacken, Julie Yorn

Hidden Figures

Producers: Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin & Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams, Theodore Melfi

La La Land

Producers: Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz, Marc Platt

Lion

Producers: Emile Sherman & Iain Canning, Angie Fielder

Manchester By the Sea

Producers: Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck, Kevin Walsh

Moonlight

Producers: Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner & Jeremy Kleiner

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:

Finding Dory

Producer: Lindsey Collins

Kubo and the Two Strings

Producers: Arianne Sutner, Travis Knight

Moana

Producer: Osnat Shurer

The Secret Life of Pets

Producers: Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy

Zootopia

Producer: Clark Spencer

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:

* The PGA previously announced the nominations in this category on November 22, 2016. The list below has been updated to include eligible producers.

Dancer

Producer: Gabrielle Tana

The Eagle Huntress

Producers: Stacey Reiss, Otto Bell

Life, Animated

Producers: Julie Goldman, Roger Ross Williams

O.J.: Made in America

Producers: Ezra Edelman, Caroline Waterlow

Tower

Producers: Keith Maitland, Susan Thomson, Megan Gilbride

The Producers Guild Loses Its Damn Mind And Declares The Big Short To Be The Best of 2015!

Posted on January 24, 2016 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Producers Guild of America, which is generally considered one of the most reliable of the Oscar precursors, announced it’s pick for the best film of the year earlier today. They had earlier nominated ten films and, out of those ten, they picked…

THE BIG SHORT!?

That’s right! The worst best picture nominee since Crash pulled off an upset victory and defeated both Spotlight and The Revenant. It now may even be the new front runner for best picture.

(Actually, if we’re going to be exact, The Big Short is just the 2nd worst best picture nominee since Crash. It’s easy to forget that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was actually nominated.)

As I made clear in my review, I didn’t think much of The Big Short but I do understand the film’s popularity. Appropriately enough for a film that’s been embraced by both Sasha Stone and Jeff Wells, it’s an angry and simplistic film and we live in an angry and simplistic time. Pretending to be complicated while actually saying nothing worked out well for Crash and it looks like it might pay off for The Big Short as well!

Congratulations to The Big Short on its undeserved victory!

The PGA Gives New Life To Sicario and Straight Outta Compton!

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Producers Guild of America announced their nominees today and guess what? Ex Machina, Sicario and Straight Outta Compton made the cut! In general, the PGA is a good precursor for the actual Oscar nominations so that’s good news for both of those films. (Among the films snubbed: Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Carol!)

Here are the nominees:

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:

Ø The Big Short

Producers: Brad Pitt & Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner

Ø Bridge of Spies

Producers: Steven Spielberg, Marc Platt, Kristie Macosko Krieger

Ø Brooklyn

Producers: Finola Dwyer & Amanda Posey

Ø Ex Machina

This film is in the process of being vetted for producer eligibility

Ø Mad Max: Fury Road

Producers: Doug Mitchell & George Miller