PGA Awards Follow Academy's Lead; Expand To Ten Nominees

Four months after the Academy Awards did the same, the Producers Guild of America has announced that the nominations for its "Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures" award will be expanded from five to ten films.

“The PGA board approved the expansion of our Best Produced Picture category nominations to support our colleagues at the Academy, but also because we feel it better represents the unprecedented diversity of films being produced today,” said PGA President Marshall Herskovitz in a statement.

“We’re excited to involve even more industry members in this year’s event, as having 10 Best Produced Picture nominees allows us to recognize even more extraordinary films,” said David Friendly and Laurence Mark, co-chairs of the PGA Awards, added in a statement. “The PGA Awards ceremony is the only night of the year that celebrates the meaningful contributions of producers across all mediums.”

The ten nominees will be announced on Tuesday, January 5, 2010. The 21st Annual PGA Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, January 24, 2010, and will be held once again at the Hollywood Palladium.

In 1990, the PGA held the first-ever Golden Laurel Awards, which were renamed the Producers Guild Awards in 2002. Last year, the PGA awarded "Slumdog Millionaire" its Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures.

Get the latest on this year's award season at indieWIRE's new awards page.