PGA Awards Nominations: ‘Dune 2,’ ‘September 5’ and ‘Wicked’ Make the Cut, ‘Nickel Boys’ and ‘Sing Sing’ Snubbed
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) unveiled its 2025 Awards nominees on Thursday, honoring an eclectic slate of films poised to dominate this year’s Oscar race.
Among the 10 nominees for the coveted Darryl F. Zanuck Award for outstanding producer of theatrical motion pictures are Sean Baker’s poignant dramedy “Anora,” Brady Corbet’s meticulously crafted historical epic “The Brutalist,” Edward Berger’s religious thriller “Conclave,” Jacques Audiard’s genre-bending musical “Emilia Pérez,” and Jon M. Chu’s glittering adaptation of “Wicked.”
More from Variety
Perhaps the most unexpected entry in this year’s list is Tim Fehlbaum’s indie thriller “September 5.” The high-stakes dystopian drama, acquired by Paramount Pictures after generating buzz at Venice and Telluride, edged out high-profile contenders like RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys” and Greg Kwedar’s prison drama “Sing Sing.” The nod for “September 5” marks a significant moment for the underdog film, which now finds itself in the best picture conversation.
Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain” got a real boost to its Oscar chances. The darkly comedic drama, which follows two estranged cousins reconnecting during a trip to Poland, was struggling to gain momentum throughout awards season despite star Kieran Culkin being a frontrunner for supporting actor. But its inclusion in the PGA lineup provides a much-needed shot in the arm and could solidify its place in the Oscars’ best picture race as voting closes on Friday.
Other notable nominees include James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” and Denis Villeneuve’s epic sci-fi sequel “Dune: Part Two.” Coralie Fargeat’s body-horror thriller “The Substance” also made the cut, with Demi Moore’s career-best performance pushing the film into the spotlight.
Searchlight Pictures is the only studio to score two noms this year, with “A Real Pain” and “A Complete Unknown” both making the list. The studio continues its legacy of championing critically acclaimed films, as shown by its best picture winners over the last decade, including “Birdman” (2014), “The Shape of Water” (2017) and “Nomadland” (2020).
While the PGA nominations provide a solid roadmap for Oscar predictions, several notable films were omitted from the lineup. Luca Guadagnino’s sultry sports drama “Challengers” failed to land a spot despite its star power and critical acclaim. Robert Eggers’ gothic horror “Nosferatu” was also notably absent, despite an impressive box office, as was Payal Kapadia’s poetic debut “All We Imagine as Light.”
The announcement comes amid logistical challenges caused by the devastating wildfires in Southern California, which prompted both the PGA and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to extend voting deadlines. The PGA postponed its nominations from Jan. 10 to the week of Jan. 13, while the Oscars shifted their nomination announcement from Jan. 17 to Jan. 23.
The PGA Awards are widely regarded as a bellwether for the Oscars, particularly in the best picture category. The PGA followed suit when the Academy expanded its lineup from five to 10 nominees in 2009. Since then, the guild’s nominations have been a strong indicator of Oscar success, with eight of the 10 PGA nominees on average translating to nods at the Academy Awards.
Last year marked a historic first for the PGA-Oscar connection: All 10 of the PGA’s best picture nominees earned corresponding nominations at the Oscars, with Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” emerging as the big winner at both ceremonies.
However, such alignment is not always the case. In 2023, only seven of the PGA’s nominees crossed over to the Oscars. Films like “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” and “The Whale” failed to make the Academy’s list, which instead included the German war film “All Quiet on the Western Front,” black comedy “Triangle of Sadness” and the resounding drama “Women Talking.”
On television, the PGA Awards showcased the growing dominance of streaming platforms in the industry. Apple TV+ nabbed two nominations in the drama category with “Bad Sisters” and “Slow Horses,” joining Netflix’s political thriller “The Diplomat,” Prime Video’s post-apocalyptic series “Fallout,” and FX’s sweeping historical epic “Shōgun.”
In comedy, HBO/Max had a strong showing with nods for the final season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and the critically acclaimed “Hacks.” They join ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” FX’s culinary hit “The Bear,” and Hulu’s murder-mystery favorite “Only Murders in the Building.”
Limited series saw HBO/Max double-dip again with “True Detective: Night Country” and “The Penguin,” in addition to Netflix, which scored with “Baby Reindeer” and “Ripley.” FX’s “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” rounded out the category.
Despite strong critical buzz, Netflix’s comedies “Nobody Wants This” and “Man on the Inside” were left out, marking a surprising snub for two shows pegged as early Emmy favorites. Similarly, Prime Video’s action-comedy “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and Apple TV+’s legal drama “Presumed Innocent” missed the cut in their respective categories.
Earlier this week, the PGA announced a partnership with the Entertainment Community Fund to establish a dedicated fund supporting film, television, and emerging media producers affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. The Guild is contributing some of the net proceeds from the Producers Guild Awards to the fund. In addition to the Guild’s contribution, members are also donating. Together, $300,000 has already been committed.
Producers will come together to raise awareness for the fund, celebrate the nominees, and announce winners at the PGA Awards ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at the Fairmont Century Plaza.
The list of nominees is below.
See all Academy Award predictions
Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars
Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
? “Anora” (Neon)
? “The Brutalist” (A24)
? “A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight Pictures)
? “Conclave” (Focus Features)
? “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.)
? “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix)
? “A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures)
? “September 5” (Paramount Pictures)
? “The Substance” (Mubi)
? “Wicked” (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
? “Flow” (Janus Films/Sideshow)
? “Inside Out 2” (Pixar)
? “Moana 2” (Walt Disney Pictures)
? “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Netflix)
? “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks Animation)
Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Drama
? “Bad Sisters” (Apple TV+)
? “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
? “Fallout” (Prime Video)
? “Shōgun” (FX)
? “Slow Horses” (Apple TV+)
Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy
? “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
? “The Bear” (FX)
? “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO/Max)
? “Hacks” (HBO/Max)
? “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series Television
? “Baby Reindeer” (Netflix)
? “FEUD: Capote Vs. The Swans” (FX)
? “The Penguin” (HBO/Max)
? “Ripley” (Netflix)
? “True Detective: Night Country” (HBO/Max)
Outstanding Producer of Televised or Streamed Motion Pictures
? “Carry On” (Netflix)
? “The Greatest Night in Pop” (Netflix)
? “The Killer”
? “Rebel Ridge” (Netflix)
? “Unfrosted” (Netflix)
Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television
? “30 for 30” (ESPN)
? “Conan O’Brien Must Go” (HBO/Max)
? “The Jinx – Part Two” (HBO/Max)
? “STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces” (Apple TV+)
? “Welcome to Wrexham” (FX)
Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment, Variety, Sketch, Standup & Talk Television
? “Ali Wong: Single Lady” (Netflix)
? “The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)
? “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO/Max)
? “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
? “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television
? “The Amazing Race” (CBS)
? “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (MTV)
? “Top Chef” (Bravo)
? “The Traitors” (Peacock)
? “The Voice” (NBC)
The following nominees were previously announced.
Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Picture
? “Gaucho Gaucho”
? “Mediha”
? “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa”
? “Porcelain War”
? “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”
? “We Will Dance Again”
Outstanding Children’s Program
? “Avatar: The Last Airbender”
? “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock”
? “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”
? “Sesame Street”
? “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Outstanding Short-Form Program
? “The Crown: Farewell To A Royal Epic”
? “Hacks: Bit By Bit”
? “The Penguin: Inside Gotham”
? “Real Time with Bill Maher: Overtime”
? “Shōgun – The Making of Shōgun”
Outstanding Sports Program
? “Formula 1: Drive to Survive”
? “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants”
? “Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend”
? “Simone Biles Rising”
? “Triumph: Jesse Owens and the Berlin Olympics”
The PGA Innovation Award
? “Critterz”
? “Emperor”
? “Impulse: Playing with Reality”
? “Orbital”
? “The Pirate Queen with Lucy Liu”
? “What If…? – An Immersive Story”
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
