The Producers Guild of America followed the Academy's lead in expanding its best picture category from five to 10 nominees in 2009, but they've decided not to go along with the Academy's recent move to a variable number of nominees.
In announcing key dates for its 2012 awards, along with new television categories, the PGA confirmed that it will stick to a slate of 10 nominees for its Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures.
That category has been considered one of the key predictors for Oscar success, because it had the same number of nominees as the Oscars and because it counted final ballots using the same preferential system as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
In January 2010, "The Hurt Locker" upset the favored "Avatar" at the PGA Awards, on its way to a Best Picture victory at the Academy Awards; earlier this year, "The King's Speech" scored a crucial victory over "The Social Network" to reverse momentum in the Oscar race.
The biggest change at next year's PGA Awards will be the addition of categories recognizing televised sports, news and children's programming, and a category for web series. In addition, the award for reality television will be expanded into three separate categories: non-fiction, competition and live entertainment/talk.
A Tuesday press release from the PGA lists these as the categories for the 2012 Producers Guild Awards (the final four categories on the list will be announced but not presented at the awards ceremony):
The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television
The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy
The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer Episodic Television – Drama
The Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television
The Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Competition Television
The Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment/Talk Television
The Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
The Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures
The Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Sports Program
The Producers Guild Award for Outstanding News Program
The Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Children’s Program
The Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Web Series
In addition, the PGA announced the deadlines and key dates for the awards.
August 26, 2011: Deadline for Notice of Producing Credits form for television series and specials (all comedy, drama, non-fiction, competition and live/talk television programs – does not include long-form television)
October 10: Television series nomination polls open
October 21: Deadline for Notice of Producing Credits form for theatrical motion pictures and animated theatrical motion pictures
November 7: Television series and specials nomination polls close
November 28: Deadline for Notice of Producing Credits form for long-form television
December 5: Theatrical motion picture, animated theatrical motion picture and long-form television nomination polls open
January 2: Theatrical motion picture, animated theatrical motion picture and long-form television nomination polls close
January 3: Producers Guild Awards nominees are announced; final polls open
January 20: Final polls close
January 21: 2011 Producers Guild Awards
