Deadline‘s Pete Hammond reminds that next Saturday’s Producers’s Guild Awards — the first 2011-2012 awards ceremony that isn’t press-and-media-driven (including the Golden Globes) — is the last chance to stop The Artist . “If someone — anyone — can stop The Artist we have a race,” he wrote this morning at 2:14 am. “But if the latter sails to a win among those all-important and predictive guild’s members, it could be all over even before Oscar nominations are announced January 24.”

I think it’s been over since early December. As sold as many of us are on The Descendants, it has generated more in the way of admiration and respect than heartfelt rocket-fuel passion — let’s face it. But let’s see.