Following in the footsteps of the Oscars, the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Producers Guild of America announced Tuesday that it is "temporarily adjusting its rules for eligibility" for its top honor, the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures.
Movie theaters around the world are shuttered because of the ongoing pandemic, making it impossible for films to meet the theatrical exhibition requirements that have heretofore been required by virtually all major film awards groups.
Consequently, "to accommodate films that may be forced to have initial nontheatrical public exhibition or distribution," the guild will still qualify films that were "initially made available on a commercial streaming or VOD service" in 2020.
"Each year, the PGA has the privilege to honor outstanding achievements in our field and celebrate the inspiring producers behind them," PGA presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher said in a statement. "The current realities mandate that we make the necessary adjustments so that every deserving producer has the opportunity for their hard work and excellence to be recognized."
The 32nd PGA Awards ceremony is currently expected to take place in January 2021.
