‘Oppenheimer’ solidifies Oscar front-runner status at Producers Guild Awards

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Cillian Murphy in a scene from “Oppenheimer.” (Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures via AP)

LOS ANGELES – “Oppenheimer” took another step toward cementing its status as the Oscar front-runner with Sunday night’s presentation of the 35th annual Producers Guild of America Awards, an award that traditionally foretells victory on Oscar night.

“Oppenheimer” competed for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures along with “Barbie,” “American Fiction,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Holdovers,” “Killers of the Flower Moon, “Maestro,” “Past Lives,” “Poor Things” and The Zone of Interest.”

The PGA honor is traditionally a strong indicator of which film will win the best picture Oscar. Since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expanded from five to 10 nominees in 2010, only four films have won the best picture Oscar without first winning the PGA Award.

Last year, both honors went to “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” “Oppenheimer” last month earned a leading 13 Academy Award nominations, and it has already received best picture honors at the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards. Christopher Nolan also won the coveted best director award from the Directors Guild of America. The previous night, the film earned the best ensemble cast in a feature film award at the Stage Actors Guild Awards, the SAG equivalent of best picture.

In the animated film category, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” took home the prize, beating out “The Boy and the Heron,” “Elemental,” “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.”

On the small screen, “Succession” continued its domination. It also earned the award for best ensemble in a dramatic television series at the SAG Awards. The other nominees for the PGA Award were “The Crown,” “The Diplomat,” “The Last of Us” and “The Morning Show.”

For comedies, “The Bear,” which also won the SAG award for comedic ensemble, took home the prize. The other nominees were “Barry,” “Jury Duty,” “Only Murders in the Building” and “Ted Lasso.”

For limited or anthology series, “Beef” finished ahead of nominees “Daisy Jones and the Six,” “Fargo” and “Lessons in Chemistry.”

The awards were presented at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood.

Several PGA Award winners were previously announced in advance ceremonies held in New York and West Hollywood. “Beckham” won the prize for sports program, while “Sesame Street” won for children’s program, and “Succession: Controlling the Narrative” won for short-form programs. The PGA Innovation Award went to “Body of Mine.”

During Sunday’s ceremony, the PGA presented its Milestone Award to longtime film producer Charles D. King, founder of MACRO, a media company “representing the voices and perspectives of Black people, indigenous people and people of color.”

Gail Berman received the Norman Lear Achievement Award for her body of work in television, which includes shows such as “American Idol,” “24,” “Family Guy,” “House,” “Arrested Development,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Wednesday.”

Here is a complete list of PGA Award winners:

Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion
Pictures
“Oppenheimer”

Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”

Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Drama
“Succession”

Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy
“The Bear”

David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology
Series Television
“BEEF”

Award for Outstanding Producer of Televised or Streamed Motion Pictures
“Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea”

Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television
“Welcome to Wrexham”

Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment, Variety, Sketch,
Standup & Talk Television
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”

Award for Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television
“RuPaul’s Drag Race”

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Picture
“American Symphony”

The Award for Outstanding Sports Program
“Beckham”

The Award for Outstanding Children’s Program
“Sesame Street”

The Award for Outstanding Short-Form Program
“Succession: Controlling the Narrative”

PGA Innovation Award
“Body of Mine”

(CNS)