Producers' picks

Hollywood's complicated movie awards season didn't get any clearer on Tuesday morning as the Producers Guild of America announced its 10 nominees for the Darryl F. Zanuck producer of the year award in theatrical motion pictures.

Some of the nominees were expected, including The Artist, The Descendants, Hugo, Moneyball and War Horse, but there were some mild surprises in the mix, such as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Ides of March and Bridesmaids.

Rounding out the nominees were The Help and Midnight in Paris. The PGA award is seen as a bellwether for the best picture Academy Award.

The last time the two didn't see eye to eye was five years ago when Little Miss Sunshine won the PGA and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences chose The Departed as best film.

"This one means a lot to us," said Ides of March producer Grant Heslov in a statement. "To get recognised by your fellow producers for an adult drama with a $12.5 million (Dh45.87 million) budget, that was really just a labour of love, it's just terrific."

Woody Allen's sister, Letty Aronson, who has produced her brother's films since 1994's Bullets Over Broadway, said she was surprised with the PGA nomination for Midnight in Paris because "we hardly get nominated for anything. It's particularly gratifying because it is a group of producers (on Midnight) who understand the whole challenge of putting together the money."

Nominated in the animated theatrical motion picture category are The Adventures of Tintin, Cars 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots and Rango. In contention for the documentary category are Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest, Bill Cunningham New York, Project Nim, Senna and The Union.

On the TV side, vying for the PGA's David L. Wolper producer of the year award in long-form TV are Cinema Verite, Downton Abbey, The Kennedys, Mildred Pierce and Too Big to Fail.

Nominated for the Danny Thomas award for outstanding producer of episodic television, comedy, are 30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory, Glee, Modern Family and Parks and Recreation. The nominees for the Norman Felton Award for outstanding producer of episodic TV, drama, are Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife and Mad Men.

Nominated for the award for outstanding producer of live entertainment and talk television are The Colbert Report, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Real Time With Bill Maher, Saturday Night Live and The 64th Annual Tony Awards. The nominees for the outstanding producer of competition television are The Amazing Race, American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, Project Runaway and Top Chef.

The PGA Awards will be handed out on January 21 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.