Arts & Entertainment
Nominees announced for 31st Annual PGA Awards
The Producers Guild of America has announced nominees for its 31st Annual Producers Guild Awards for Film and Television.
The PGA Awards have long been seen as a strong predictor for the Oscars, with 21 of its thirty winners having mirrored the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Among the nominees, which honor outstanding production across a range of categories, are several films and television shows with strong LGBTQ content.
Notably included are several nods for LGBTQ fan-favorites; “Schitt’s Creek” was a nominee for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television (Comedy); “RuPaul’s Drag Race” for Outstanding Producer of Game and Competiton Television; and “Queer Eye” for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television.
Other nominations for shows with queer storylines include “Fleabag” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” both competing against “Schitt’s Creek” in the episodic comedy category; and “Watchmen,” HBO’s acclaimed series featuring multiple superhero characters who are queer and/or people of color, received a nomination for Best Producer of Episodic Television (Drama)
Though there are no directly LGBTQ-related films nominated in the Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures category (the PGA’s equivalent of Best Picture), one of the contenders, Taika Waititi’s anti-hate Nazi satire “Jojo Rabbit,” includes a strongly-implied same-sex relationship between two supporting characters.
The winners will be announced at the Producers Guild Awards ceremony on January 18 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. The Guild will additionally present special honors to powerhouse producers and leaders who have left their indelible mark on the entertainment industry. The 2020 honorees include Ted Sarandos (Milestone Award); Brad Pitt, Dede Gardnerand Jeremy Kleinerof Plan B (David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures); Marta Kauffman (Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television); Octavia Spencer (Visionary Award); and the Lionsgate film “Bombshell” (The Stanley Kramer Award).
The winner of the Innovation Award and the winner in the Short-Form category will be announced at a PGA nominees’ event on January 16 at the Hollywood Museum in Los Angeles. The winners in the Children’s and Sports categories will be announced at a nominees’ celebration in New York on January 13 at the Ascent Lounge.
For a complete list of the nominees, visit the PGA website.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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