The Hurt Locker has regained some lost momentum in the awards season after taking the best feature prize at the annual Producers Guild Of America awards on Sunday night (January 24) in Los Angeles.

Director Kathryn Bigelow, screenwriter Mark Boal and their fellow producers Nicholas Chartier and Greg Shapiro won the Darryl F Zanuck award.

The Iraq War film beat out nine other contenders: Avatar, Up In The Air, An Education, Invictus, District 9, Star Trek, Up, Precious, and Inglourious Basterds.

The Hurt Locker has been a strong contender throughout awards season but it failed to win top honours at the SAG awards on Saturday night or the Golden Globes the previous weekend.

Up was named best animated feature of the year while The Cove claimed the documentary award.