Oscar Race Heats Up: Who Will Go for the Gold?

Photo Courtesy - Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- As Oscar nominations inch closer -- they're set to be announced Jan. 25 -- newly-announced contenders for other film industry honors offer clues as to who the Academy might deem worthy.

This week, the Producers Guild and the Writers Guild -- two of the three best known Hollywood guilds -- announced the nominees for their respective annual awards. The Producers Guild's picks for best picture: 127 Hours, Black Swan, Inception, The King's Speech, The Social Network, The Kids Are All Right, The Town, True Grit and Toy Story 3.

The Writers Guild, which recognizes screenplay excellence, chose similar nominees: Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right and Please Give for best original screenplay. 127 Hours, I Love You Phillip Morris, The Social Network, The Town and True Grit are up for best adapted screenplay.

Unlike the Golden Globes -- which were widely criticized for nominating films that were poorly received by critics, such as The Tourist and Burlesque, and snubbing those that won rave reviews, like True Grit -- the picks of the Producers Guild, the Writers Guild and the Directors Guild, which announces nominees for its awards next week, could offer a clearer picture of the upcoming Academy Awards nominees.

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