Oppenheimer was the undeniable frontrunner in the Best Picture race leading up to the Oscars after taking top honors at the 2024 Producers Guild Awards on Sunday night.
Director Christopher Nolan and stars Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy – who plays the father of the atomic bomb – and Emily Blunt were in attendance at the ceremony, which took place at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood.
The Producers Guild of America recognized their own achievements at this year's 35th annual PGA Awards.
Earlier in the evening, “The Bear” continued its awards season winning streak when it took home the episodic comedy series award, while Succession continued its year-long awards season winning streak with the award for best drama series.
Other big winners included “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse” for animated film and Netflix’s “Beef” for best miniseries.
Oppenheimer was the undeniable frontrunner in the Best Picture race leading up to the Oscars after taking top honors at the 2024 Producers Guild Awards on Sunday night; Stars (from left to right) Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. pictured
Director Christopher Nolan was on hand to accept the award for Best Motion Picture at the PGAs, held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood; Pictured with producers Chuck Roven and Emma Thomas
In Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy (pictured) plays J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. The film was a hit with critics and audiences alike, grossing nearly $1 billion on a budget of $100 million
Oppenheimer received the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Motion Picture Producer, which in recent years has emerged as the award that most predicts the Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards.
As he took the stage with fellow producers Chuck Roven and Emma Thomas, writer-director Christopher Nolan noted that winning the Zanuck Award was a new experience for the group, even though they had been nominated in the past.
“Every time we were in that room we felt so much support,” he said via Variety.
And while Nolan is best known as the author of hits like the Dark Knight trilogy, “Dunkirk” and “Inception,” Thomas suggested he might be an even better producer than director.
“He's absolutely brilliant, we've worked on 12 films now,” she enthused.
Oppenheimer was a hit with critics and audiences alike. The biopic grossed nearly $1 billion on a $100 million budget and received an impressive 96 percent freshness rating from top critics in a Rotten Tomatoes poll.
The film's success, part of the popular “Barbenheimer” double bill with Barbie, signaled that after years of Marvel dominance, audiences might be more interested in films not based on existing intellectual properties or superheroes.
The nominations were announced last month, with American Fiction, Barbie, Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon among the nominees for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Motion Picture Producer.
“The Bear,” which stars awards favorites Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, was awarded the Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy earlier in the evening.
“The Bear” continued its awards season winning streak, winning the Episodic Comedy Series award
The dramedy, starring award winners Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, was awarded the Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy at the start of the evening
Chef Matty Matheson (right), who performs at Bear and serves as producer and culinary consultant, accepted the award alongside his fellow producers
The other big TV winner of the night was Succession, which won the Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Drama; (L-R) Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin pictured
Chef Matty Matheson, who appears on The Bear and serves as producer and culinary consultant, accepted the award alongside his fellow producers.
The other big TV winner of the night was Succession, which won the Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Drama.
The series has been an awards show staple since its premiere, and its fourth and final season is no exception.
Phil Lord and his creative partner Christopher Miller were part of the team that accepted the award for Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse.
The animated film continued the multiverse storylines featured in the hugely successful live-action film Spider-Man: No Way Home, starring Tom Holland as the titular hero.
The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of a Limited or Anthology Series Television went to another awards season favorite, the Netflix miniseries Beef.
The pitch-black comedy stars Ali Wong as a small business owner of Chinese descent who finds himself caught in an escalating cycle of revenge and self-sabotage after an angry road rage incident involving a struggling Korean-American contractor (Steven Yeun).
The team representing RuPaul's Drag Race scored with a win at the Award for Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television.
The guild represents more than 8,500 producers who work across media. Awards at the PGA Awards recognize achievements in film, episodic television, stand-up television, live television, documentaries and more.
This year's ceremony will take place at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland.
Tom Cruise and Mindy Kaling are among the big names receiving special awards.
The “Top Gun” star will receive the David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures, while Kaling will be honored with the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television.
Animated films are honored with the award for outstanding producers of animated films. This year's nominees are “The Boy And The Heron,” “Elemental,” “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse,” “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.”
Phil Lord (at the microphone) and his creative partner Christopher Miller (far left) were part of the team that accepted the award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Motion Pictures for Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
Oscar winner Emma Stone pictured enjoying her dinner. In addition to being the star, she is also the producer of her acclaimed film “Poor Things,” which is nominated for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Motion Picture Producer
Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone addresses the audience. She stars alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's Western crime epic “Killers Of The Flower Moon,” also nominated for the Best Picture award
Gladstone, who is a frontrunner for the upcoming Oscars alongside Emma Stone, was joined by her director Martin Scorsese at the Ray Dolby Theater. He makes a brief appearance at the end of Killers Of The Flower Moon
The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited Edition or Anthology Television Series went to another awards season favorite, the Netflix miniseries “Beef,” which stars Ali Wong (left) and Steven Yeun (right).
The team representing RuPaul's Drag Race scored with a win at the Award for Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television
“The Crown” is among the hit shows nominated for the Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Drama. It will compete against The Diplomat, The Last of Us, The Morning Show and Succession.
The nominees for the Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Episodic Television Program Producer – Comedy are Barry, The Bear, Jury Duty, Only Murders In The Building and Ted Lasso.
The Amazing Race, RuPaul's Drag Race and Squid Game: The Challenge are among the nominees for the Outstanding Producer of Game and Competition Television award.
The PGA Awards also recognize sports programs, including 100 Foot Wave, Beckham, Formula 1: Drive To Survive, Hard Knocks: Training Camp With The New York Jets and Shaun White: The Last Run for the Outstanding Sports Program Award.
2024 PGA Awards Winners
Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Motion Picture Producer
American fiction
Anatomy of a fall
Barbie
The leftovers
Flower Moon Killer
maestro
Oppenheimer – WINNER
Past lives
Poor things
The zone of interest
Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Feature Films
The Boy and the Heron
Elementary
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – WINNER
The Super Mario Bros. movie
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Drama
The crown
The diplomat
The last of us
The Morning Show
Succession – WINNER
Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy
Barry
The Bear – WINNER
Jury duty
Just murders in the building
Ted Lasso
David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited Edition or Anthology Television Series
All the light we can't see
BEEF – WINNER
Daisy Jones and the Six
Fargo
Chemistry lessons
Award for the outstanding producer of televised or streamed feature films
Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea – WINNER
Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Film
Quiz Lady
reality
Red, white and royal blue
Award for outstanding producer of non-fiction television programs
60 minutes
The 1619 Project
Albert Brooks: Defending My Life
I'm Mary Tyler Moore
Welcome to Wrexham – WINNER
Award for outstanding producer of live entertainment, variety, sketch, stand-up and talk television
Carol Burnett: 90 years of laughter + love
Chris Rock: Selective outrage
Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer
Last week tonight with John Oliver – WINNER
Saturday Night Live
Award for Outstanding Producer of Game and Competition Television
The Amazing Race
RuPaul's Drag Race – WINNER
Squid Game: The Challenge
Top chef
The voice
The Outstanding Documentary Film Producer Award
20 days in Mariupol
American Symphony – WINNER
Beyond utopia
The disappearance of Shere Hite
The mother of all lies
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
Squaring the Circle (The History of Hipgnosis)
The award for outstanding sports program
100 foot wave
Beckham – WINNER
Formula 1: Drive to Survive
Hard Knocks: Training camp with the New York Jets
Shaun White: The final run
The award for outstanding children's programming
Goose flesh
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai
Sesame Street – WINNER
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
The Velveteen Rabbit
The award for outstanding short program
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
I think you should go with Tim Robinson
The Last of Us: In the episode
Only Murders in the Building: A Killer Question
Succession: Controlling the Narrative – WINNER
PGA Innovation Award
Body Of Mine – WINNER
The eye and me
JFK souvenirs
Letters from Drancy
MLK: Now is the time
Ocean of Light: Dolphins VR
Our ocean, our future
Out of Scale, a short story adventure
Rethought
Space Explorers: Blue Marble Trilogy
Wallace & Gromit in The Grand Getaway
The largest tailgate in the world
Barbie is nominated for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Motion Picture Producer