Producers Guild of America Dishes Out Awards

By our guest blogger, Matt Jussim

"The Hurt Locker" beat out "Avatar" to win the big award at the PGA Awards this past weekend.

Kathryn Bigelow’s Iraq War drama took home the Best Picture award, besting her ex-husband, James Cameron’s epic moneymaker, “Avatar,” to breathe some fire into this year’s Oscar race.

“Avatar” took home the big prize at the Golden Globes, and had it won this award as well, it would be the clear-cut favorite to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Two out of every three winners of the PGA award in the past two decades have won the 'Best Film' award at the Academy Awards.

Having said that, “Avatar” still will be one of the heavy favorites come Oscar time. It’s very possible that two other sci-fi films that were nominated (“Star Trek,” “District 9”) for the PGA award stole some votes that may have went to “Avatar”.

As we stand now, so far “The Hurt Locker” has swept most of the critic’s prizes, while the Golden Globes anointed "Avatar" their winner. “Inglourious Basterds” was the favorite with the Screen Actors Guild, and the PGA has now brought the momentum back to “The Hurt Locker.”

“Avatar” will most likely score the most Oscar nominations (with some help from the technical awards) with “The Hurt Locker” and “Basterds” not far behind.

It’s strange how momentum can help a movie during award’s season. I mean, is that movie any different just because it won the PGA award? Either way, it’s great to see the race heating up--and it’s never fun when George Clooney comes up to announce the award for Best Picture when you already know what it is.

Other winners include "Up," which scored best-animated film while "The Cove" took home best documentary.

The Academy Award nominations will be announced February 2, 2010.

The full list of winners:

BEST PICTURE: The Hurt Locker

BEST DOCUMENTARY: The Cove

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Up

STANLEY KRAMER AWARD: Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

BEST TV COMEDY: 30 Rock

BEST TV DRAMA: Mad Men

BEST TV LONG FORM: Grey Gardens

BEST NON-FICTION TV: 60 Minutes

BEST LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COMPETITION: The Colbert Report

DAVID O. SELZNICK AWARD: John Lasseter

VANGUARD AWARD: Joss Whedon

MILESTONE AWARD: Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton