The Producers Guild of America (PGA) said Tuesday it would move its annual awards show to a new venue out of sympathy with the workers at the customary site, the Century Plaza, who are engaged in a protracted contract dispute.

The Writers Guild of America West, which is scheduled to hand out its awards at the Century City hotel on Feb. 19, said it also is considering the use of other venues for the same reason. The Directors Guild of America, which has recently held its events at the Century Plaza, declined to comment on whether it would still use the hotel for its Jan. 29 bash, while the American Society of Cinematographers plans to use the hotel as planned on Feb. 20 for its awards ceremony.

The PGA said its Jan. 22 awards will now be held at a soundstage and surrounding facilities at Culver Studios in Culver City.

"We were put on notice by the union early on that they had a labor dispute and were frustrated in their efforts and asked us to please not continue to keep our business there," PGA executive director Vance Van Petten said. "Out of sympathy to their cause we felt it was important to respect that wish."

The Century Plaza is among nine Los Angeles-area hotels involved in contract talks involving about 3,000 hotel workers. Whether these talks resolve the issues or lead to a work stoppage should be known by Thursday.

The PGA is a guild representing 2,200 producers but not a union in the sense of having collective bargaining agreements with the industry's representatives. Still, the guild's board of directors unanimously approved the venue change.

The PGA intends to announce the nominations on Jan. 5, also at Culver Studios. Its awards show is considered a key barometer of Oscar success, with the PGA feature winner usually going on to win the Academy Award for best picture.

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