Has the Oscar race just gained a frontrunner?
Sean Baker’s comedy Anora, set in Brooklyn, took home top honors at both the Producers Guild Awards and the Directors Guild Awards on Saturday, significantly boosting its chances in the Oscar race. The film’s success at these prestigious precursors has positioned it as a leading contender for the Academy Awards.
This year’s Hollywood awards season has been unusually unpredictable, with several films vying for the title of best picture. Anora, starring Mikey Madison as a Brooklyn exotic dancer who marries the son of a Russian oligarch, was considered a favorite after winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. However, other films, such as The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez, also had their moments in the spotlight.
But over the weekend, Anora made a strong comeback, adding the Critics Choice Awards best picture win to its growing list of accolades.
Both the Producers Guild Awards (PGA) and the Directors Guild Awards (DGA) were held in Beverly Hills, California. The PGA’s highest honor, the Darryl F. Zanuck Award, has proven to be a reliable predictor of the Oscar winner for best picture, aligning with the Academy’s choice in 16 of the past 21 years. Since 2009, when both the PGA and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences started using a preferential voting system to select winners from a pool of 10 nominees, the two have matched in all but three instances.
The Directors Guild Awards (DGA) have also proven to be a reliable predictor for the Oscars. Over the past 74 years, 66 of the DGA winners have gone on to win the Oscar for Best Director. This trend places Sean Baker as the frontrunner for Best Director, a category filled with first-time nominees this year.
The DGA also awarded RaMell Ross’ film Nickel Boys as Best First Film. Ross, who made his narrative debut with Nickel Boys, is also nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
Oscar voting starts Tuesday, with Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez leading with 13 nominations. However, the Netflix film has faced significant backlash, which has hurt its chances.
In another major development over the weekend, DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot swept the Annie Awards, winning nine awards, including Best Film. This makes The Wild Robot the heavy favorite to win Best Animated Film at the Oscars on March 2.