Heteroaromatization of ethyl 2-cyano-4-oxo-2-(2-oxo-2-arylethyl)-4-aryl-butanoates 3a,b with ammonium acetate gave ethyl 2,6-diarylisonicotinates 4a,b.Treatment of the latter with acetonitrile afforded novel β-oxoalkanonitriles 6a,b. Reactions of 6a,b with phenyl hydrazine and hydroxylamine gave the corresponding pyridyl aminopyrazoles 8a,b and pyridyl aminoisoxazoles 10a,b, respectively.