EIGHTH GRADE
Elsie Fisher in EIGHTH GRADE

The Writers Guild of America announced the winners of the 2019 Writers Guild Awards with the top film awards going to Bo Burnham for Eighth Grade for Original Screenplay, and Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty for Can You Ever Forgive Me?, based on the book by Lee Israel for Adapted Screenplay. Bathtubs Over Broadway, written by Ozzy Inguanzo & Dava Whisenant won the award for Documentary Screenplay.

The WGAW presented several honorary, special achievement and service awards during its West Coast ceremony. This year’s honorees included: Orange is the New Black and Weeds creator Jenji Kohan, who received the WGAW’s Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement; Oscar and WGA-nominated comedy screenwriting team Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel (Parenthood, Splash), who received the WGAW’s Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement; Writers Guild and Academy Award-winning screenwriter-director Adam McKay (The Big Short), who received the WGAW’s Paul Selvin Award for his satirical, subversive Vice screenplay, which embodies the spirit of constitutional rights and civil liberties; pioneering French filmmaker Agnès Varda (La Courte Pointe, Vagabond, Faces Places), who received the WGAW’s Jean Renoir Award for International Screenwriting Achievement, and accepted on Varda’s behalf by her son, actor-director Mathieu Demy (Americano); and documentary filmmaker-writer and former WGAW Board of Directors member Joan Meyerson, who received the WGAW’s Morgan Cox Award for Guild service.

The WGAE presented three honorary awards at the East Coast ceremony. Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress JuIianna Margulies (The Good Wife, ER) presented three-time Emmy Award-winner writer and show creator Tom Fontana (Borgia, Oz, Homicide: Life on the Street, St. Elsewhere) with the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement. Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and producer James Schamus (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Indignation) presented The Black List founder Franklin Leonard with the Evelyn F. Burkey Award for bringing honor and dignity to writers. Splinter News journalist Hamilton Nolan presented longtime WGA East staff member Randall Jansta with the Richard B. Jablow Award for Devoted Service to the Guild.

2019 Writers Guild Awards Winners

FILM WINNERS

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Eighth Grade, Written by Bo Burnham; A24

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, Based on the book by Lee Israel; Fox Searchlight

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Bathtubs Over Broadway, Written by Ozzy Inguanzo & Dava Whisenant; Focus Features

TELEVISION AND NEW MEDIA WINNERS

DRAMA SERIES

The Americans, Written by Peter Ackerman, Hilary Bettis, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Sarah Nolen, Stephen Schiff, Justin Weinberger, Joe Weisberg, Tracey Scott Wilson; FX Networks

COMEDY SERIES

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Written by Kate Fodor, Noah Gardenswartz, Daniel Goldfarb, Jen Kirkman, Sheila Lawrence, Daniel Palladino, Amy Sherman Palladino; Prime Video

NEW SERIES

Barry, Written by Alec Berg, Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Emily Heller, Liz Sarnoff, Ben Smith, Sarah Solemani; HBO

ORIGINAL LONG FORM

Castle Rock, Writers: Marc Bernardin, Scott Brown, Lila Byock, Mark Lafferty, Sam Shaw, Dustin Thomason, Gina Welch, Vinnie Wilhelm; Hulu

ADAPTED LONG FORM

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Writers: Maggie Cohn, Tom Rob Smith, Based on the book Vulgar Favors by Maureen Orth; FX Networks

ORIGINAL SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA

Class of Lies, Written by Tessa Leigh Williams; Snapchat

ADAPTED SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA

The Walking Dead: Red Machete, Written by Nick Bernardone; AMC.com

ANIMATION

“Bart’s Not Dead” (The Simpsons), Written by Stephanie Gillis; Fox

EPISODIC DRAMA

“Paean To The People” (Homeland), Written by Alex Gansa; Showtime

EPISODIC COMEDY

“Chapter One: ‘Make Your Mark’” (Barry), Written by Alec Berg & Bill Hader; HBO

COMEDY/VARIETY TALK SERIES

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Writers: Tim Carvell, Raquel D’Apice, Josh Gondelman, Dan Gurewitch, Jeff Maurer, Daniel O’Brien, John Oliver, Brian Parise, Owen Parsons, Ben Silva, Will Tracy, Jill Twiss, Seena Vali, Juli Weiner; HBO

COMEDY/VARIETY SKETCH SERIES

Nathan For You, Writers: Leo Allen, Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Michael Koman, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola; Comedy Central

COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS

The Fake News with Ted Nelms, Written by John Aboud, Andrew Blitz, Michael Colton, Ed Helms, Elliott Kalan, Joseph Randazzo, Sara Schaefer; Comedy Central

QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Head Writer: Stephen A. Melcher, Jr.; Writers: Kyle Beakley, Tom Cohen, Patricia A. Cotter, Ryan Hopak, Gary Lucy, James Rowley, Ann Slichter, Dylan Snowden; Disney/ABC Syndication

DAYTIME DRAMA

General Hospital, Head Writers: Shelly Altman, Christopher Van Etten; Writers: Barbara Bloom, Anna Theresa Cascio, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O’Connor, Donny Sheldon, Scott Sickles; ABC

CHILDREN’S EPISODIC AND SPECIALS

“The Ersatz Elevator: Part One” (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Teleplay by Daniel Handler; Netflix

(No nominees for Children’s Long Form this year.)

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS

“Trump’s Takeover” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS

“The Eugenics Crusade” (American Experience), Written by Michelle Ferrari; PBS

NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

“Catastrophe” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News

NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

“Wounds of War” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News

DIGITAL NEWS

“Inside The Culture Of Sexism At Riot Games,” Written by Cecilia D’Anastasio; Kotaku.com

RADIO/AUDIO WINNERS

RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY

“RFK: 50 Years After Shots Rang Out at The Ambassador Hotel,” Written by Andrew Evans; ABC News Radio

RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT—REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

“Remembering The Good, The Bad and the Brilliant,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio

RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

“John McCain: A Life of Service,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio

PROMOTIONAL WINNER

ON-AIR PROMOTION (RADIO OR TELEVISION)

“Tribute to Star Trek for the 2018 Creative Arts Emmys,” Written by Sean Brogan; CBS

VIDEOGAME WINNER

VIDEOGAME WRITING

God of War, Written by Matt Sophos, Richard Zangrande Gaubert, Cory Barlog; Story and Narrative Design Lead Matt Sophos; Story and Narrative Design Richard Zangrande Gaubert; Narrative Design Orion Walker, Adam Dolin; Sony Interactive Entertainment

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