LOS ANGELES, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The producers of the award season's frontrunners including "Lincoln," "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Les Miserables" have been chosen as possible contenders for the top honor bestowed by the Producers Guild of America (PGA), the group announced Wednesday.
Other critically well-reviewed or box office well-received tentpoles such as 23rd James Bond film "Skyfall," romantic drama "Silver Linings Playbook," Ang Lee's latest 3-D fantasy "Life of Pi" and Quentin Tarantino's written and directed slave epic "Django Unchained" also make the list, so do a pair of indie films -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild" and "Moonrise Kingdom," as well as Ben Affleck's political thriller "Argo."
All the nominees will vie for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for outstanding producer of theatrical motion pictures, the most prestigious award presented annual by the guild.
The PGA award has been traditionally regarded as one of the most reliable precursor for the best picture Academy Awards. Since 1990 when it was first started, 15 of PGA's awardees went on to take the top Oscar.
The guild will also award Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, J.J. Abrams, Russell Simmons and BULLY with special honors.
PGA will announce the winners on Jan. 26 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Hollywood, California.