Keeping Up with the Guilds

As an Oscar handicapper, the only awards I concern myself with prior to the big show are the various guild accolades.  The old maxim is that whatever wins the guild will win the Oscar. That rang true for a number of years, and although the tide has shifted a little as of late, the guilds always manage to elect an Oscar front-runner.

A brief run down of how the guilds work: only members of a specific guild get to vote for the winners, meaning actors award actors, directors award directors, and so on. Because the Oscars are wide open (everyone votes in every category), the guilds aren’t perfect at predicting the winners, but they’re damn close.

To be honest, I’m not at all impressed with the guild nominations this year, just like I assume I won’t be impressed with the Oscar nominations come Jan. 24. Regardless, here are the nominations for the major guild awards, and the date of their respective ceremonies.

Producers Guild Awards

Winners will be announced Jan. 21

The Artist

Bridesmaids

The Descendants

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The Help

Hugo

The Ides of March

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

War Horse

Directors Guild Awards

Winners will be announced Jan. 28

Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris

David Fincher – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist

Alexander Payne – The Descendants 

Martin Scorsese – Hugo

Screen Actors Guild

Winners will be announced Jan. 29

BEST ACTOR

Demián Bichir – A Better Life

George Clooney – The Descendants

Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar

Jean Dujardin – The Artist

Brad Pitt – Moneyball

BEST ACTRESS

Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis – The Help

Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady

Tilda Swinton – We Need To Talk About Kevin

Michelle Williams – My Week with Marilyn

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kenneth Branagh – My Week with Marilyn

Armie Hammer – J. Edgar

Jonah Hill – Moneyball

Nick Nolte – Warrior

Christopher Plummer – Beginners

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Bérénice Bejo – The Artist

Jessica Chastain – The Help

Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids

Janet McTeer- Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer – The Help

BEST CAST

The Artist

Bridesmaids

The Descendants

The Help

Midnight in Paris

Writer’s Guild Awards

Winners will be announced Feb. 21

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

McCarthy

50/50 – Will Reiser
Bridesmaids – Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen
Win Win – Tom McCarthy
Young Adult – Diablo Cody

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Payne

The Descendants – Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Steven Zaillian
The Help – Tate Taylor
Hugo – John Logan
Moneyball – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin