Ben Affleck, George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s true-life thriller earned a timely boost one month before the Academy Awards by winning the Zanuck Award For Outstanding Producer Of Theatrical Motion Pictures on Saturday night [26] in Beverly Hills.

Argo, released worldwide through Warner Bros, prevailed in a tough field that included Beasts Of The Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Misérables, Life Of Pi, Lincoln, Moonrise Kingdom, Silver Linings Playbook, Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty.

The winner is in contention for the best picture Academy Award against all of the above except Skyfall and Moonrise Kingdom. Amour is also an Oscar contender.

Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph won the Outstanding Producer Of Animation Theatrical Motion Pictures Award and beat out Brave, Frankenweenie, ParaNorman and Rise Of The Guardians.

The winner of the Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures was SPC’s Searching For Sugar Man. The other nominees were A People Uncounted, The Gatekeepers, The Island President and The Other Dream Team and

As previously announced, honourary winners included Bob and Harvey Weinstein for the Milestone Award, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner for the David O Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures, JJ Abrams for the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television, Russell Simmons for the Visionary Award, and Bully for the Stanley Kramer Award).

The 2013 Producers Guild Awards were chaired by Michael De Luca.