Producers Guild Nominations!

Batman ponders whether he should get a new Bat tuxedo for the Academy Awards. 

There are so many award-giving organizations that it would be pointless for me to post every top ten list, nomination list, best friend list that goes up at the end of each year. However, the Producers Guild of America put out their nominations today and I thought they were worth noting. First, because according to Variety, the PGA choice for best picture also won the best picture Oscar in 12 of the last 19 years; more than 75% of their nominations were also nominated by the academy. So it seems like the producers have at least a decent guess at the winners of the big awards (keep in mind–although the Best Picture Oscar goes to the film’s producer, the entire academy votes in that category).

Particularly interesting this year is the fact that the PGA gave one of its nominations to ”The Dark Knight.” Conventional wisdom says the Batman flick is a big box office hit, but not an award winning film. However, it’s shown up on lots of top ten lists and other best ofs. I think the PGA nomination is another indication that this movie might be the one to upset conventional wisdom by nabbing an Oscar best picture nomination.

Here’s the PGA list:

The Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures
“The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button,” Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall, Ceán Chaffin
“The Dark Knight,” Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas
“Frost/Nixon,” Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Eric Fellner
“Milk,” Dan Jinks & Bruce Cohen
“Slumdog Millionaire,” Christian Colson

The Producers Guild of America Producer of the Year Award in Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures
“Man On Wire,” Simon Chinn
“Standard Operating Procedure,” Julie Bilson Ahlberg, Errol Morris
“Trouble The Water,” Carl Deal, Tia Lessin

The Producers Guild of America Producer of the Year Award in Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
“Bolt,” Clark Spencer
“Kung Fu Panda,” Melissa Cobb
“Wall-E,” Jim Morris