‘Nomadland’ Becomes Official Frontrunner with Producers Guild Win

BY SCOTTIE KNOLLIN

Though nothing’s a given this awards season, it’s likely we have our Academy Award winner for Best Picture secured as this season’s darling, “Nomadland”, picked up a crucial precursor win with the top prize at the PGA Awards.

The film’s closest Oscars competition continues to be “Promising Young Woman” and “Minari”. The latter film could push ahead if it wins the big prize at next weekend’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. “Nomadland” isn’t nominated for the SAG Awards’ top prize. Last year, though “Parasite” was a much-celebrated film o its way to eventual Oscars gold, it lost a few important precursor awards, including the PGA Award, which went to “1917”. This year, “Nomadland” has nearly swept every precursor award and critics groups awards. The North Dakota Film Society named it the Best Picture of 2020.

Pixar’s “Soul” received the award for animated feature. The acclaimed film has been the Oscar lock for some time. Netflix’s “My Octopus Teacher” won the documentary prize, giving it a much-needed boost for the Documentary Feature category at next month’s Academy Awards.

Of note, the win for “Nomadland” marks only the second time a film directed by a woman earned the top PGA award.

FULL LIST OF FILM WINNERS:

DARRYL F. ZANUCK AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PRODUCER OF THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

NOMADLAND
(Searchlight Pictures)
Producers: Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Chloé Zhao

AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PRODUCER OF ANIMATED THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

SOUL
(Pixar)
Producer: Dana Murphy

OUTSTANDING PRODUCER OF DOCUMENTARY MOTION PICTURES

MY OCTOPUS TEACHER
(Netflix)