The Producers Guild Awards were held on Saturday night in Los Angeles, and the Apple TV+ dramedy about deafness and music took home the group’s best-film prize.
According to Phillippe Rousselet, one of the film’s producers, who delivered his acceptance speech, “as a producer, I’ve always been attracted to tales that are packed with empathy.” ‘In a world where we witness the absence of it on a daily basis, I’ll take this award as a symbol that there is still hope,’ said the winner.
The PGA Award is often regarded as the most reliable industry predictor of best picture success. Since 2009, when the guild and the Academy both increased the number of best-film candidates and instituted a preferential vote, the two organisations have only varied in their final pick three times throughout that time period.
Following its recent best-ensemble win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, “CODA” appears to be positioning itself for a best picture showdown with Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog,” which has received top honours from the Directors Guild of America, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, as well as the Critics’ Choice Awards. Between those two films, Oscar night will very definitely result in the first-ever Oscar for a streaming service, which will be the first time that has happened in Hollywood.
Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that “CODA,” which is an acronym for children of deaf adults, received only three Academy Award nominations, compared to the 12 received by “The Power of the Dog,” and that it did not receive nominations for directing or editing, which are typically indicative of a best-picture contender. Indeed, no film has won the Academy Award for Best Picture since 1932’s “Grand Hotel,” which received neither of those crucial nominations.
“CODA” will almost certainly have to win every award it is nominated for in order to win best picture, a scenario that is looking more and more likely by the day as supporting actor Troy Kotsur continues to win awards and as the film’s screenplay pulls off a surprise victory at the British Academy Film Awards.
Among the other awards presented at the PGA Awards, “Summer of Soul” was awarded best documentary film, while “Encanto” was voted best animated picture of the year. The best episodic drama “Succession,” the best episodic comedy “Ted Lasso,” and the best episodic drama “Mare of Easttown” took home the top television awards (best limited series).
