By definition, the WGA Awards celebrate the starting point for all great TV shows and films: the writers.
“Writers are the one group of workers in this industry whose job begins with a blank page,” says WGAW President Meredith Stiehm. “Without us, there is no script for directors to shoot, no lines for actors to say, and no content for studios to distribute.”
The original screenplay category features a diverse mix of storytelling subjects and styles, featuring five first time nominees. Sean Baker (“Anora”) and Jesse Eisenberg (“A Real Pain”) also earned Oscar nominations for their writing, but the WGA broadens its field to include Justin Kuritzkes for “Challengers,” Alex Garland for “Civil War” and Megan Park for “My Old Ass.”
The adapted screenplay category features more big budget and bold-faced names, from Richard Linklater and Glen Powell for “Hit Man” (marking the director’s third nomination) to James Mangold and Jay Cocks for “A Complete Unknown,” (Mangold’s second) and Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts for “Dune: Part Two” (who were both first nominated for part one). Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox earned nominations for another blockbuster, “Wicked,” while RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes grabbed the fifth spot for “Nickel Boys.” (Only “Nickel Boys” and “A Complete Unknown” also earned Oscar nods.)
On the smaller screen, four shows were nominated for the first time — “Shogun,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” “Fallout,” and “The Boys” — along with previously twice-nominated series “The Diplomat” in the drama category. Conversely, the comedy category is dominated by familiar faces: “Curb Your Enthusiasm, “The Bear” and “Hacks” have all won before, and “Abbott Elementary” and “What We Do in the Shadows” were previously nominated.
“Fallout,” “Shōgun” and “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” were also nominated for Best New Series, along with the comedies “English Teacher” and “Nobody Wants This.” In the prestigious limited series category, “The Penguin,” “Say Nothing,” “True Detective,” “Ripley” and “Presumed Innocent” got nods. The latter two are written, respectively, by WGA Lifetime Achievement Award winners Steve Zaillian and David E. Kelley.
Additionally, in a late-breaking move that honors one of the most original minds to put ideas on that blank page, Stiehm announced that the WGA will give a lifetime achievement award posthumously to David Lynch.
But in the aftermath of the decimation caused by fires, the WGA is looking beyond just celebrating the work being done. “We have partnered with the Entertainment Community Fund to establish the Writers Guild Member Fund to assist writers facing hardship from the fires, with pledged contributions from fellow writers now over $1.3 million,” Stiehm explains. “We are also holding targeted donation drives, offering work space for members at the WGAW offices and have also offered expedited Good & Welfare emergency assistance loans to impacted members.”
The Awards Show itself will also provide opportunities to donate to the Writers Guild Member Fund: guests are encouraged to donate on the online ticket purchase page and in the event program.
And, of course, the WGA continues to stand up for its members in other ways. In the aftermath of the writers strike, the WGA believes it is “critical that we hold studios accountable to the MBA,” Stiehm says. “One of the Guild’s main areas of focus over the past year has been on enhancing our systems to monitor and enforce the terms of the new agreement — including the guaranteed second step for screenwriters and the new series staffing terms.”
This year the awards show will be livestreamed (at awards.wga.org), Stiehm says as a way to invite all members but also outside members of the industry, and more broadly, fans of great writing. “What’s important about the Writers Guild Awards is celebrating writers, who often go unrecognized for their contributions to the industry.”
