3 days Ago
"Anora", "Nickel Boys", "Shogun", and "Hacks" were the major winners at this year's Writers Guild Awards. The awards were presented at dual ceremonies held in New York and Los Angeles. In film, "Anora" won best original screenplay, beating out "A Real Pain", "Challengers", "Civil War", and "My Old Ass.
" "Nickel Boys" triumphed in adapted screenplay, outpacing competitors like "A Complete Unknown", "Dune: Part Two", "Hit Man", and "Wicked." On television, "Shogun" took home the prize for best drama series, while "Hacks" won for comedy. "Shogun's" episode "Anjin" won for best episodic drama, and "Hacks'" "Bulletproof" took the honor for episodic comedy.
Los Angeles host Joel Kim Booster humorously addressed the challenges of holding a celebration during a crisis, saying, "Some question the need for an awards ceremony now — those people weren't nominated." He noted the hardships of recent years, but emphasized the role writers play in offering hope. He also acknowledged the first responders who kept the community safe amidst disasters.
New York host Roy Wood Jr. joked about the award's timing, given the next day's BAFTA Awards, teasing that winners would face TSA scrutiny if they traveled with the WGA trophy, which he described as resembling a "tool designed by a gynecologist on ketamine." The first win of the evening went to "Nickel Boys" for adapted screenplay, with RaMell Ross commenting, "The Writers Guild is special because you're the smartest.
" He later accepted the Paul Selvin Award, affirming that "imagination is the most powerful form of resistance." The ceremony also honored "Saturday Night Live" as it marked its 50th anniversary. Wood Jr.
humorously reflected on the show's longevity, noting that it's outlasted multiple strikes and employed more New York writers than Dick Wolf. In a heartfelt moment, Kyle MacLachlan paid tribute to the late David Lynch, presenting him with the posthumous Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement, reflecting on Lynch's unique vision and influence on his career. WGA West President Meredith Stiehm used her platform to address the challenges the industry faces, calling out tech companies for using writers' work to train AI models without compensation.
She reaffirmed the Guild's commitment to labor rights, free speech, and equity, receiving widespread applause. In New York, Bill Lawrence received the Herb Sargent Award, with presenter Matt Tarses playfully poking fun at Lawrence's confidence and long career. Lawrence, reflecting on mentorship, encouraged the audience to invest time in helping the next generation of writers.
Later, Marielle Heller presented the Ian McLellan Hunter Career Achievement Award to Scott Frank, who joked that the honor felt like accepting a "posthumous award in person." Despite this, he expressed optimism about the future of writing. The evening was filled with humor, heartfelt tributes, and recognition of the writing community's resilience and creativity.
A complete list of the 2025 WGA Awards winners follows. Screenplay Nominees Original Screenplay "A Real Pain", Written by Jesse Eisenberg; Searchlight Pictures "Anora", Written by Sean Baker; Neon (WINNER) "Challengers", Written by Justin Kuritzkes; Amazon MGM Studios "Civil War", Written by Alex Garland; A24 "My Old Ass", Written by Megan Park; Amazon MGM Studios Adapted Screenplay "A Complete Unknown", Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks, based on the book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald; Searchlight Pictures "Dune: Part Two", Screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, based on the novel Dune by Frank Herbert; Warner Bros. Pictures "Hit Man", Screenplay by Richard Linklater & Glen Powell, based on the Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth; Netflix "Nickel Boys", Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes, based on the book The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead; Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios (WINNER) "Wicked", Screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox, Based on the musical stage play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, from the novel by Gregory Maguire; Universal Pictures Documentary Screenplay "Jim Henson: Idea Man", Written by Mark Monroe; Imagine Documentaries (WINNER) "Kiss the Future", Screenplay by Bill S.
Carter, Story by Bill S. Carter and Nenad Cicin-Sain; Fifth Season "Martha", Written by R.J.
Cutler; Netflix "War Game", Written by Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss; Submarine Deluxe Television, Streaming, and News Nominees Drama Series "The Boys", Written by Geoff Aull, Jessica Chou, Paul Grellong, Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Judalina Neira, David Reed, Anslem Richardson; Prime Video "The Diplomat", Written by Peter Ackerman, Eli Attie, Debora Cahn, Anna Hagen, Julianna Dudley Meagher, Peter Noah; Netflix "Fallout", Written by Jake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime Video "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", Written by Carla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime Video "Shogun", Written by Shannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu (WINNER) Comedy Series "Abbott Elementary", Written by Quinta Brunson, Ava Coleman, Riley Dufurrena, Justin Halpern, Joya McCrory, Chad Morton, Morgan Murphy, Brittani Nichols, Rebekka Pesqueira, Kate Peterman, Brian Rubenstein, Patrick Schumacker, Justin Tan, Jordan Temple, Garrett Werner; ABC "The Bear", Written by Karen Joseph Adcock, Joanna Calo, Rene Gube, Will Guidara, Matty Matheson, Alex Russell, Catherine Schetina, Christopher Storer, Courtney Storer; FX/Hulu "Curb Your Enthusiasm", Written by Larry David, Jon Hayman, Justin Hurwitz, Carol Leifer, Stephen Leff, Jeff Schaffer, Nathaniel Stein; HBO | Max "Hacks", Written by Genevieve Aniello, Lucia Aniello, Guy Branum, Jessica Chaffin, Paul W.
Downs, Jess Dweck, Ariel Karlin, Andrew Law, Carol Leifer, Carolyn Lipka, Joe Mande, Aisha Muharrar, Pat Regan, Samantha Riley, Jen Statsky; HBO | Max (WINNER) "What We Do in the Shadows", Written by Jake Bender, Max Brockman, Zach Dunn, Shana Gohd, Amelia Haller, Sam Johnson, Jeremy Levick, Chris Marcil, William Meny, Sarah Naftalis, Marika Sawyer, Paul Simms, Rajat Suresh, Lauren Wells; FX/Hulu New Series "English Teacher", Written by Brian Jordan Alvarez, Wally Baram, Jake Bender, Emmy Blotnick, Zach Dunn, Dave King, Stephanie Koenig, Jonathan Krisel, Paul Simms, Samantha Shier; FX/Hulu "Fallout", Written by Jake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime Video "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", Written by Carla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime Video "Nobody Wants This", Written by Barbie Adler, Jane Becker, Jack Burditt, Vali Chandrasekaran, Craig DiGregorio, Erin Foster, Lindsay Golder, Steven Levitan, Pat Regan, Niki Schwartz-Wright, Neel Shah, Noelle Valdivia, Ron Weiner, Ryann Werner; Netflix "Shogun", Written by Shannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu (WINNER) Limited Series "The Penguin", Written by Vladimir Cvetko, Breannah Gibson, Erika L.
Johnson, Lauren LeFranc, Corina Maritescu, Megan Martin, John McCutcheon, Shaye Ogbonna, Nick Towne, Noelle Valdivia, Kira Snyder; HBO | Max (WINNER) "Presumed Innocent", Written by Miki Johnson, David E. Kelley, Sharr White; Apple TV+ "Ripley", Written by Steven Zaillian; Netflix "Say Nothing", Written by Clare Barron, Joe Murtagh, Kirsten Sheridan, Joshua Zetumer; FX/Hulu "True Detective: Night Country", Written by Katrina Albright, Alan Page Arriaga, Namsi Khan, Issa López, Chris Mundy, Wenonah Wilms; HBO | Max TV & Streaming Motion Pictures "The Great Lillian Hall", Written by Elisabeth Seldes Annacone; HBO | Max (WINNER) "Prom Dates", Written by D.J.
Mausner; Hulu "Rebel Ridge", Written by Jeremy Saulnier; Netflix "Terry McMillan Presents Forever", Written by Bart Baker; Lifetime Animation "Bottle Episode" (The Simpsons), Written by Rob LaZebnik & Johnny LaZebnik; Fox "Cremains of the Day" (The Simpsons), Written by John Frink; Fox "Night of the Living Wage" (The Simpsons), Written by Cesar Mazariegos; Fox "Saving Favorite Drive-In" (Bob's Burgers), Written by Katie Crown; Fox (WINNER) "The Tina Table: The Tables Have Tina-ed" (Bob's Burgers), Written by Greg Thompson; Fox "Winter Is Born" (Blood of Zeus), Written by Charles Parlapanides & Vlas Parlapanides; Netflix Episodic Drama "Anjin" (Shogun), Written for Television by Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks; FX/Hulu (WINNER) "The Beginning" (Fallout), Written by Gursimran Sandhu; Prime Video "Fear of the End" (Evil), Written by Rockne S. O'Bannon & Nialla LeBouef; Paramount+ "First Date" (Mr. & Mrs.
Smith), Written by Francesca Sloane & Donald Glover; Prime Video "Olivia" (Sugar), Written by Mark Protosevich; Apple TV+ "Pilot" (Elsbeth), Written by Robert King & Michelle King; CBS Episodic Comedy "AGG" (Somebody Somewhere), Written by Hannah Bos & Paul Thureen and Bridget Everett; HBO | Max "Bulletproof" (Hacks), Written by Lucia Aniello & Paul W. Downs & Jen Statsky; HBO | Max (WINNER) "Linda" (English Teacher), Written by Jake Bender & Zach Dunn; FX/Hulu "Napkins" (The Bear), Written by Catherine Schetina; FX/Hulu "Once Upon a Time in the West" (Only Murders in the Building), Written by John Hoffman & Joshua Allen Griffith; Hulu "Petiole" (The Sticky), Written by Tony Moherman; HBO | Max "Anora", "Nickel Boys", "Shogun", and "Hacks" were the major winners at this year's Writers Guild Awards. The awards were presented at dual ceremonies held in New York and Los Angeles.
In film, "Anora" won best original screenplay, beating out "A Real Pain", "Challengers", "Civil War", and "My Old Ass." "Nickel Boys" triumphed in adapted screenplay, outpacing competitors like "A Complete Unknown", "Dune: Part Two", "Hit Man", and "Wicked." On television, "Shogun" took home the prize for best drama series, while "Hacks" won for comedy.
"Shogun's" episode "Anjin" won for best episodic drama, and "Hacks'" "Bulletproof" took the honor for episodic comedy. Los Angeles host Joel Kim Booster humorously addressed the challenges of holding a celebration during a crisis, saying, "Some question the need for an awards ceremony now — those people weren't nominated." He noted the hardships of recent years, but emphasized the role writers play in offering hope.
He also acknowledged the first responders who kept the community safe amidst disasters. New York host Roy Wood Jr. joked about the award's timing, given the next day's BAFTA Awards, teasing that winners would face TSA scrutiny if they traveled with the WGA trophy, which he described as resembling a "tool designed by a gynecologist on ketamine.
" The first win of the evening went to "Nickel Boys" for adapted screenplay, with RaMell Ross commenting, "The Writers Guild is special because you're the smartest." He later accepted the Paul Selvin Award, affirming that "imagination is the most powerful form of resistance." The ceremony also honored "Saturday Night Live" as it marked its 50th anniversary.
Wood Jr. humorously reflected on the show's longevity, noting that it's outlasted multiple strikes and employed more New York writers than Dick Wolf. In a heartfelt moment, Kyle MacLachlan paid tribute to the late David Lynch, presenting him with the posthumous Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement, reflecting on Lynch's unique vision and influence on his career.
WGA West President Meredith Stiehm used her platform to address the challenges the industry faces, calling out tech companies for using writers' work to train AI models without compensation. She reaffirmed the Guild's commitment to labor rights, free speech, and equity, receiving widespread applause. In New York, Bill Lawrence received the Herb Sargent Award, with presenter Matt Tarses playfully poking fun at Lawrence's confidence and long career.
Lawrence, reflecting on mentorship, encouraged the audience to invest time in helping the next generation of writers. Later, Marielle Heller presented the Ian McLellan Hunter Career Achievement Award to Scott Frank, who joked that the honor felt like accepting a "posthumous award in person." Despite this, he expressed optimism about the future of writing.
The evening was filled with humor, heartfelt tributes, and recognition of the writing community's resilience and creativity. A complete list of the 2025 WGA Awards winners follows. Screenplay Nominees Original Screenplay "A Real Pain", Written by Jesse Eisenberg; Searchlight Pictures "Anora", Written by Sean Baker; Neon (WINNER) "Challengers", Written by Justin Kuritzkes; Amazon MGM Studios "Civil War", Written by Alex Garland; A24 "My Old Ass", Written by Megan Park; Amazon MGM Studios Adapted Screenplay "A Complete Unknown", Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks, based on the book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald; Searchlight Pictures "Dune: Part Two", Screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, based on the novel Dune by Frank Herbert; Warner Bros.
Pictures "Hit Man", Screenplay by Richard Linklater & Glen Powell, based on the Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth; Netflix "Nickel Boys", Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes, based on the book The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead; Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios (WINNER) "Wicked", Screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox, Based on the musical stage play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, from the novel by Gregory Maguire; Universal Pictures Documentary Screenplay "Jim Henson: Idea Man", Written by Mark Monroe; Imagine Documentaries (WINNER) "Kiss the Future", Screenplay by Bill S. Carter, Story by Bill S. Carter and Nenad Cicin-Sain; Fifth Season "Martha", Written by R.
J. Cutler; Netflix "War Game", Written by Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss; Submarine Deluxe Television, Streaming, and News Nominees Drama Series "The Boys", Written by Geoff Aull, Jessica Chou, Paul Grellong, Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Judalina Neira, David Reed, Anslem Richardson; Prime Video "The Diplomat", Written by Peter Ackerman, Eli Attie, Debora Cahn, Anna Hagen, Julianna Dudley Meagher, Peter Noah; Netflix "Fallout", Written by Jake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime Video "Mr. & Mrs.
Smith", Written by Carla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime Video "Shogun", Written by Shannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu (WINNER) Comedy Series "Abbott Elementary", Written by Quinta Brunson, Ava Coleman, Riley Dufurrena, Justin Halpern, Joya McCrory, Chad Morton, Morgan Murphy, Brittani Nichols, Rebekka Pesqueira, Kate Peterman, Brian Rubenstein, Patrick Schumacker, Justin Tan, Jordan Temple, Garrett Werner; ABC "The Bear", Written by Karen Joseph Adcock, Joanna Calo, Rene Gube, Will Guidara, Matty Matheson, Alex Russell, Catherine Schetina, Christopher Storer, Courtney Storer; FX/Hulu "Curb Your Enthusiasm", Written by Larry David, Jon Hayman, Justin Hurwitz, Carol Leifer, Stephen Leff, Jeff Schaffer, Nathaniel Stein; HBO | Max "Hacks", Written by Genevieve Aniello, Lucia Aniello, Guy Branum, Jessica Chaffin, Paul W. Downs, Jess Dweck, Ariel Karlin, Andrew Law, Carol Leifer, Carolyn Lipka, Joe Mande, Aisha Muharrar, Pat Regan, Samantha Riley, Jen Statsky; HBO | Max (WINNER) "What We Do in the Shadows", Written by Jake Bender, Max Brockman, Zach Dunn, Shana Gohd, Amelia Haller, Sam Johnson, Jeremy Levick, Chris Marcil, William Meny, Sarah Naftalis, Marika Sawyer, Paul Simms, Rajat Suresh, Lauren Wells; FX/Hulu New Series "English Teacher", Written by Brian Jordan Alvarez, Wally Baram, Jake Bender, Emmy Blotnick, Zach Dunn, Dave King, Stephanie Koenig, Jonathan Krisel, Paul Simms, Samantha Shier; FX/Hulu "Fallout", Written by Jake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime Video "Mr. & Mrs.
Smith", Written by Carla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime Video "Nobody Wants This", Written by Barbie Adler, Jane Becker, Jack Burditt, Vali Chandrasekaran, Craig DiGregorio, Erin Foster, Lindsay Golder, Steven Levitan, Pat Regan, Niki Schwartz-Wright, Neel Shah, Noelle Valdivia, Ron Weiner, Ryann Werner; Netflix "Shogun", Written by Shannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu (WINNER) Limited Series "The Penguin", Written by Vladimir Cvetko, Breannah Gibson, Erika L. Johnson, Lauren LeFranc, Corina Maritescu, Megan Martin, John McCutcheon, Shaye Ogbonna, Nick Towne, Noelle Valdivia, Kira Snyder; HBO | Max (WINNER) "Presumed Innocent", Written by Miki Johnson, David E. Kelley, Sharr White; Apple TV+ "Ripley", Written by Steven Zaillian; Netflix "Say Nothing", Written by Clare Barron, Joe Murtagh, Kirsten Sheridan, Joshua Zetumer; FX/Hulu "True Detective: Night Country", Written by Katrina Albright, Alan Page Arriaga, Namsi Khan, Issa López, Chris Mundy, Wenonah Wilms; HBO | Max TV & Streaming Motion Pictures "The Great Lillian Hall", Written by Elisabeth Seldes Annacone; HBO | Max (WINNER) "Prom Dates", Written by D.
J. Mausner; Hulu "Rebel Ridge", Written by Jeremy Saulnier; Netflix "Terry McMillan Presents Forever", Written by Bart Baker; Lifetime Animation "Bottle Episode" (The Simpsons), Written by Rob LaZebnik & Johnny LaZebnik; Fox "Cremains of the Day" (The Simpsons), Written by John Frink; Fox "Night of the Living Wage" (The Simpsons), Written by Cesar Mazariegos; Fox "Saving Favorite Drive-In" (Bob's Burgers), Written by Katie Crown; Fox (WINNER) "The Tina Table: The Tables Have Tina-ed" (Bob's Burgers), Written by Greg Thompson; Fox "Winter Is Born" (Blood of Zeus), Written by Charles Parlapanides & Vlas Parlapanides; Netflix Episodic Drama "Anjin" (Shogun), Written for Television by Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks; FX/Hulu (WINNER) "The Beginning" (Fallout), Written by Gursimran Sandhu; Prime Video "Fear of the End" (Evil), Written by Rockne S. O'Bannon & Nialla LeBouef; Paramount+ "First Date" (Mr.
& Mrs. Smith), Written by Francesca Sloane & Donald Glover; Prime Video "Olivia" (Sugar), Written by Mark Protosevich; Apple TV+ "Pilot" (Elsbeth), Written by Robert King & Michelle King; CBS Episodic Comedy "AGG" (Somebody Somewhere), Written by Hannah Bos & Paul Thureen and Bridget Everett; HBO | Max "Bulletproof" (Hacks), Written by Lucia Aniello & Paul W. Downs & Jen Statsky; HBO | Max (WINNER) "Linda" (English Teacher), Written by Jake Bender & Zach Dunn; FX/Hulu "Napkins" (The Bear), Written by Catherine Schetina; FX/Hulu "Once Upon a Time in the West" (Only Murders in the Building), Written by John Hoffman & Joshua Allen Griffith; Hulu "Petiole" (The Sticky), Written by Tony Moherman; HBO | Max.
