The 71st Annual Writers Guild Awards
Sunday
February 17, 2019
Edison Ballroom
240 West 47th St., NYC
6:15pm - Cocktails
7:15pm - Dinner
8:30pm - Show
Roy Wood Jr.
Nominees & Winners
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Eighth Grade, Written by Bo Burnham; A24 – WINNER
Green Book, Written by Nick Vallelonga & Brian Currie & Peter Farrelly; Universal Pictures
A Quiet Place, Screenplay by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck and John Krasinski, Story by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck; Paramount Pictures
Roma, Written by Alfonso Cuarón; Netflix
Vice, Written by Adam McKay; Annapurna Pictures
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Blackkklansman, Written by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee, Based on the book by Ron Stallworth; Focus Features
Black Panther, Written by Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole, Based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, Based on the book by Lee Israel; Fox Searchlight – WINNER
If Beale Street Could Talk, Screenplay by Barry Jenkins, Based on the novel by James Baldwin; Annapurna Pictures
A Star is Born, Screenplay by Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters, Based on the 1954 screenplay by Moss Hart and the 1976 screenplay by John Gregory Dunne & Joan Didion and Frank Pierson, Based on a story by William Wellman and Robert Carson; Warner Bros.
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Bathtubs Over Broadway, Written by Ozzy Inguanzo & Dava Whisenant; Focus Features – WINNER
Fahrenheit 11/9, Written by Michael Moore; Briarcliff Entertainment
Generation Wealth, Written by Lauren Greenfield; Amazon Studios
In Search of Greatness, Written by Gabe Polsky; Art of Sport
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 – WINNER
Better Call Saul, Written by Ann Cherkis, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, Heather Marion, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock; AMC
The Crown, Written by Tom Edge, Amy Jenkins, Peter Morgan; Netflix
The Handmaid’s Tale, Written by Yahlin Chang, Nina Fiore, Dorothy Fortenberry, John Herrera, Lynn Renee Maxcy, Bruce Miller, Kira Snyder, Eric Tuchman; Hulu
Succession, Written by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Jon Brown, Jonathan Glatzer, Anna Jordan, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Susan Soon He Stanton, Daniel Zelman; HBO
COMEDY SERIES
Atlanta, Written by Ibra Ake, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Taofik Kolade, Jamal Olori, Stefani Robinson, Paul Simms; FX Networks
Barry, Written by Alec Berg, Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Emily Heller, Liz Sarnoff, Ben Smith, Sarah Solemani; HBO
GLOW, Written by Liz Flahive, Tara Herrmann, Nick Jones, Jenji Kohan, Carly Mensch, Marquita Robinson, Kim Rosenstock, Sascha Rothchild, Rachel Shukert; Netflix
The Good Place, Written by Megan Amram, Christopher Encell, Kate Gersten, Cord Jefferson, Andrew Law, Joe Mande, Kassia Miller, Dylan Morgan, Matt Murray, Rae Sanni, Daniel Schofield, Michael Schur, Josh Siegal, Jen Statsky, Tyler Straessle; NBC
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Written by Kate Fodor, Noah Gardenswartz, Daniel Goldfarb, Jen Kirkman, Sheila Lawrence, Daniel Palladino, Amy Sherman Palladino; Prime Video – WINNER
NEW SERIES
Barry, Written by Alec Berg, Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Emily Heller, Liz Sarnoff, Ben Smith, Sarah Solemani; HBO – WINNER
The Haunting of Hill House, Written by Meredith Averill, Charise Castro Smith, Mike Flanagan, Jeff Howard, Rebecca Leigh Klingel, Scott Kosar, Liz Phang; Netflix
Homecoming, Written by Micah Bloomberg, Cami Delavigne, Eli Horowitz, Shannon Houston, Eric Simonson, David Wiener; Prime Video
Pose, Written by Steven Canals, Brad Falchuk, Todd Kubrak, Janet Mock, Ryan Murphy, Our Lady J; FX Networks
Succession, Written by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Jon Brown, Jonathan Glatzer, Anna Jordan, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Susan Soon He Stanton, Daniel Zelman; HBO
LONG FORM ORIGINAL
Castle Rock, Writers: Marc Bernardin, Scott Brown, Lila Byock, Mark Lafferty, Sam Shaw, Dustin Thomason, Gina Welch, Vinnie Wilhelm; Hulu – WINNER
My Dinner with Hervé, Teleplay Screenplay by Sacha Gervasi, Story by Sacha Gervasi & Sean Macaulay; HBO
Paterno, Written by Debora Cahn and John C. Richards; HBO
LONG FORM ADAPTED
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 – WINNER
The Looming Tower, Writers: Bash Doran, Dan Futterman, Alex Gibney, Shannon Houston, Adam Rapp, Ali Selim, Lawrence Wright, Based on the book The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright; Hulu
Maniac, Writers: Nick Cuse, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Amelia Gray, Danielle Henderson, Mauricio Katz, Patrick Somerville, Caroline Williams, Based on the Norwegian television series Maniac by Espen PA Lervaag, Håakon Bast Mossige, Kjetil Indregard and Ole Marius Araldsen; Netflix
Sharp Objects, Writers: Ariella Blejer, Scott Brown, Vince Calandra, Gillian Flynn, Dawn Kamoche, Alex Metcalf, Marti Noxon, Based upon the book written by Gillian Flynn; HBO
SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA ORIGINAL
After Forever, Written by Michael Slade & Kevin Spirtas; Prime Video
Class of Lies, Written by Tessa Leigh Williams; Snapchat – WINNER
Love Daily, Written by: Lauren Ciaravalli, Andrew Eisen, Aaron Eisenberg, Will Eisenberg, Alexis Jacknow, Nathaniel Katzman, Yulin Kuang, Nathan Larkin-Connolly, Alexis Roblan, Bennet D. Silverman, Ryan Wood; Go90.com
West 40s, Written by Mark Sam Rosenthal & Brian Sloan; West40s.com
SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA ADAPTED
The Walking Dead: Red Machete, Written by Nick Bernardone; AMC.com – WINNER
ANIMATION
“Bart’s Not Dead” (The Simpsons), Written by Stephanie Gillis; Fox – WINNER
“Boywatch” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Rich Rinaldi; Fox
“Just One of the Boyz 4 Now for Now” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Lizzie Molyneux & Wendy Molyneux; Fox
“Krusty the Clown” (The Simpsons), Written by Ryan Koh; Fox
“Mo Mommy Mo Problems” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Steven Davis; Fox
“Send in Stewie, Please” (Family Guy), Written by Gary Janetti; Fox
EPISODIC DRAMA
“Camelot” (Narcos: Mexico), Written by Eric Newman & Clayton Trussell; Netflix
“The Car” (This Is Us), Written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger; NBC
“Episode 407” (The Affair), Teleplay by Lydia Diamond and Sarah Sutherland, Story by Jaquen Tee Castellanos and Sarah Sutherland; Showtime
“First Blood” (The Handmaid’s Tale), Written by Eric Tuchman; Hulu
“Paean To The People” (Homeland), Written by Alex Gansa; Showtime – WINNER
“The Precious Blood of Jesus” (Ozark), Written by David Manson; Netflix
EPISODIC COMEDY
“Another Place” (Forever), Teleplay by Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard, Story by Aniz Adam Ansari; Prime Video
“Chapter One: ‘Make Your Mark’” (Barry), Written by Alec Berg & Bill Hader; HBO – WINNER
“Halibut!” (Santa Clarita Diet), Written by Victor Fresco; Netflix
“Kimmy and the Beest!” (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Written by Robert Carlock; Netflix
“Pilot” (The Kids Are Alright), Written by Tim Doyle; ABC
“Who Knows Better Than I” (Orange Is the New Black), Written by Jenji Kohan; Netflix
COMEDY/VARIETY TALK SERIES
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, Writers: Kristen Bartlett, Samantha Bee, Ashley Nicole Black, Pat Cassels, Mike Drucker, Eric Drysdale, Mathan Erhardt, Joe Grossman, Miles Kahn, Nicole Silverberg, Melinda Taub; TBS
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 – WINNER
Late Night with Seth Meyers; Supervising Writers: Sal Gentile, Seth Reiss; Writers: Jermaine Affonso, Alex Baze, Bryan Donaldson, Matt Goldich, Dina Gusovsky, Jenny Hagel, Allison Hord, Mike Karnell, John Lutz, Seth Meyers, Ian Morgan, Amber Ruffin, Mike Shoemaker, Mike Scollins, Ben Warheit; NBC Universal
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Head Writers: Jay Katsir, Opus Moreschi; Writers: Emmy Blotnick, Michael Brumm, Aaron Cohen, Stephen T. Colbert, Cullen Crawford, Paul Dinello, Ariel Dumas, Glenn Eichler, Django Gold, Gabe Gronli, Greg Iwinski, Barry Julien, Daniel Kibblesmith, Matt Lappin, Michael Pielocik, Tom Purcell, Kate Sidley, Jen Spyra, Brian Stack, John Thibodeaux; CBS
COMEDY/VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
At Home with Amy Sedaris, Writers: Cindy Caponera, Paul Dinello, Jodi Lennon, Frank Lesser, Meredith Scardino, Amy Sedaris; truTV
I Love You, America, Head Writer: Dave Ferguson; Writers: Glenn Boozan, Leann Bowen, Raj Desai, Kyle Dunnigan, John Haskell, Tim Kalpakis, Opeyemi Olagbaju, Gavin Purcell, Diona Reasonover, Jocelyn Richard, Christopher J. Romano, Sarah Silverman, Beth Stelling, Dan Sterling, Nick Wiger; Hulu
Nathan For You, Writers: Leo Allen, Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Michael Koman, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola; Comedy Central – WINNER
Portlandia, Writers: Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham Wagner; IFC
Saturday Night Live, Head Writers: Michael Che, Colin Jost, Kent Sublette, Bryan Tucker; Supervising Writers: Fran Gillespie, Sudi Green, Streeter Seidell; Writers: James Anderson, Kristen Bartlett, Megan Callahan, Steven Castillo, Andrew Dismukes, Anna Drezen, Claire Friedman, Alison Gates, Steve Higgins, Sam Jay, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, Nick Kocher, Michael Koman, Alan Linic, Eli Coyote Mandel, Erik Marino, Dave McCary, Brian McElhaney, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Nimesh Patel, Josh Patten, Katie Rich, Simon Rich, Gary Richardson, Marika Sawyer, Pete Schultz, Mitch Silpa, Will Stephen, Julio Torres, Rachel Wenitsky, Bowen Yang; NBC Universal
COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS
2018 Rose Parade Hosted by Cord & Tish, Written by Will Ferrell, Jake Fogelnest, Andrew Steele; Prime Video
Drew Michael, Written by Drew Michael; HBO
The Fake News with Ted Nelms, Written by John Aboud, Andrew Blitz, Michael Colton, Ed Helms, Elliott Kalan, Joseph Randazzo, Sara Schaefer; Comedy Central – WINNER
The Oscars 2018, Written by Dave Boone, Carol Leifer, Jon Macks; Special Material Written by Megan Amram, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Gonzalo Cordova, Adam Carolla, Devin Field, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Sal Iacono, Eric Immerman, Jesse Joyce, Bess Kalb, Jimmy Kimmel, Molly McNearney, Danny Ricker, Joe Strazzullo; ABC
QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Hollywood Game Night, Head Writers: Ann Slichter, Grant Taylor; Writers: Michael Agbabian, Dwight D. Smith; NBC
Jeopardy!, Written by Matthew Caruso, John Duarte, Harry Friedman, Mark Gaberman, Deborah Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve D. Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC
Paid Off with Michael Torpey, Head Writer: Ethan Berlin; Writers: John Chaneski, Rosemarie DiSalvo, Leigh Hampton, Katie Hartman, Amanda Melson, Larry Owens, Jennie Sutton, Michael Torpey, Jeremy Weiner; truTV
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 – WINNER
DAYTIME DRAMA
Days of Our Lives, Head Writer: Ron Carlivati; Writers: Sheri Anderson, Lorraine Broderick, Joanna Cohen, Lisa Connor, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Rick Draughon, Cydney Kelley, David Kreizman, David A. Levinson, Rebecca McCarty, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Katherine Schock, Elizabeth Snyder, Tyler Topits; NBC
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 – WINNER
CHILDREN’S EPISODIC AND SPECIALS
“Carnivorous Carnival: Part One” (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Teleplay by Joe Tracz; Netflix
“The Ersatz Elevator: Part One” (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Teleplay by Daniel Handler; Netflix – WINNER
“For The Last Time” (Andi Mack), Written by Jonathan S. Hurwitz; Disney Channel
“Picture Day” (Alexa & Katie), Written by Ray Lancon; Netflix
“Warehouse Towel Fight” fka “Emil Strikes Back” (Prince of Peoria), Written by Marty Donovan; Netflix
CHILDREN’S LONG FORM
No nominees.
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS
“Black Hole Apocalypse” (Nova), Written by Rushmore DeNooyer; PBS
“Blackout in Puerto Rico” (Frontline), Written by Rick Young; PBS
“The Gang Crackdown” (Frontline), Written by Marcela Gaviria; PBS
“Trump’s Takeover” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS – WINNER
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS
“Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia – Part 1” (Frontline), Written by David Fanning & Linda Hirsch & Martin Smith; PBS
“The Circus, Part One” (American Experience), Written by Sharon Grimberg; PBS
“The Eugenics Crusade” (American Experience), Written by Michelle Ferrari; PBS – WINNER
“Into The Amazon” (American Experience), Written by John Maggio; PBS
NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“Catastrophe” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News – WINNER
“Las Vegas Massacre” (CBS Evening News with Anthony Mason), Written by Jerry Cipriano and Joe Clines; CBS News
“The Spotted Pig” (60 Minutes), Written by Anderson Cooper and Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News
NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“100,000 Women” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley and Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News
“On Broadway: Rodgers and Hammerstein” (CBS Sunday Morning), Written by Mo Rocca and Kay M. Lim; CBS News
“War Crime” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News
“Wounds of War” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News – WINNER
DIGITAL NEWS
“D.C.’s Biggest Homeless Shelter Is About to Close. Will Amazon Take Its Place?,” Written by Emma Roller; Splinter
“How To Not Die In America,” Written by Molly Osberg; Splinter
“Inside The Culture Of Sexism At Riot Games,” Written by Cecilia D’Anastasio; Kotaku.com – WINNER
RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
“2017 Year in Review,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“RFK: 50 Years After Shots Rang Out at The Ambassador Hotel,” Written by Andrew Evans; ABC News Radio – WINNER
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT—REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“5pm CBS News Radio Glor Newscast,” Written by James Hutton; CBS News Radio
“ABC News 6p Hourly 9-27-2018,” Written by Stephanie Pawlowski; ABC News Radio
“Remembering The Good, The Bad and the Brilliant,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio – WINNER
“World News This Week 9-21-2018,” Written by Joan B. Harris; ABC News Radio
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“John McCain: A Life of Service,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio – WINNER
“A Tribute to Le Grand Orange,” Written by Thomas A. Sabella; CBS News Radio
ON-AIR PROMOTION (RADIO OR TELEVISION)
“FBI 2018 Promo Reel,” Written by Ralph Buado; CBS
“Tribute to Star Trek for the 2018 Creative Arts Emmys,” Written by Sean Brogan; CBS – WINNER
“Westworld: Season 2 Promo (Super Bowl spot),” Written by Jonathan Nolan; HBO
TELEVISION GRAPHIC ART AND ANIMATION
No nominees.
VIDEOGAME WRITING
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Associate Narrative Directors Matthew Zagurak, Joel Janisse, James Richard Mittag; Narrative Director Melissa MacCoubrey; Story by Jonathan Dumont, Melissa MacCoubrey, Hugo Giard; Scriptwriters Madeleine Hart, Betty Robertson, Jesse Scoble, Diana Sherman, Kelly Bender, Jojo Chia, Ian Fun, Zachary M. Parris, Ken Williamson, Daniel Bingham, Jordan Lemos, Simon Mackenzie, Katelyn MacMullin, Susan Patrick, Alissa Ralph, Stephen Rhodes; Team Lead Writer Sam Gill; AI Writers Jonathan Flieger, Kimberly Ann Sparks; Ubisoft Quebec
Batman: The Enemy Within, Episode 5-Same Stitch, Lead Writer James Windeler; Written by Meghan Thornton, Ross Beeley, Lauren Mee; Story by Meghan Thornton, Michael Kirkbride; Telltale Games
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 – WINNER
Marvel’s Spider-Man, Story Lead Jon Paquette; Writers Benjamin Arfmann, Kelsey Beachum; Co-Written by Christos Gage; Additional Story Contributions by Dan Slott; Insomniac Games & Sony Interactive Entertainment
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, Narrative Designers Alex Scokel, Eric Fenstermaker, Kate Dollarhyde, Megan Starks, Olivia Veras, Paul Kirsch; Additional Writing Tony Evans, John Schmautz, Casey Hollingshead, Nitai Poddar; Narrative Design Leads Carrie Patel, Josh Sawyer; Obsidian Entertainment
Voting
The voting period for all categories has closed.
Members in good standing are eligible to vote according to the schedule below.
BEST DRAMATIC SERIES / BEST COMEDY SERIES / BEST NEW SERIES
- Preliminary Voting Period: November 1, 2018—November 26, 2018
- Final Voting Period: January 8, 2019—January 31, 2019
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
- Preliminary Voting Period: December 7, 2018—January 3, 2019
- Final Voting Period: January 8, 2019—January 31, 2019
Voting for the Writers Guild Awards will be conducted in two (2) rounds:
- Preliminary voting will determine nominees.
- Final voting will determine winners.
You MUST vote by 3 p.m. Eastern time on the last day of each voting period.
Voting will be conducted online. Log in using your last name and your 5-digit member ID number.
Contact Nancy Hathorne or Dana Weissman for additional information
Honorary Awards
The Writers Guild of America, East is proud to present the following honorary awards at the 2019 Writers Guild Awards Ceremony at New York’s Edison Ballroom on Sunday, February 17, 2019:
Tom Fontana
Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement
Franklin Leonard
Evelyn F. Burkey Award for Bringing Honor and Dignity to Writers
Randall Jansta
Richard B. Jablow Award for Devoted Service to the Guild
The Ian McLellan Hunter Award was established in 1992 and named in memory of longtime WGAE member Ian McLellan Hunter. The award is presented to a WGA member in honor of his/her body of work as a writer in motion pictures or television. Hunter’s more than 20 screen credits include Eye Witness and A Woman of Distinction. Harassed by the blacklist in the 1950s, Hunter went on to write several successful television series under a pseudonym and then reemerged as a writer on many television projects, including The Blue and The Gray. Appropriately, the first recipient of the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement in Writing was Hunter’s longtime friend and writing partner, Ring Lardner, Jr., whose movie credits include Woman Of The Year, M*A*S*H and The Cincinnati Kid.
- 2018: Geoffrey C. Ward
- 2017: John Waters
- 2016: Richard LaGravenese
- 2015: Paul Haggis
- 2014: David Simon
- 2013: David Koepp
- 2012: Claire Labine
- 2011: Frank Gilroy
- 2010: Alan Zweibel
- 2009: John Patrick Shanley
- 2008: Not Awarded
- 2007: Andrew Bergman
- 2006: Marshall Brickman
- 2005: John Sayles
- 2004: Jules Feiffer
- 2003: Nora Ephron
- 2002: Donald E. Westlake
- 2001: Evan Hunter
- 2000: Herb Gardner
- 1999: Horton Foote
- 1998: William Persky
- 1997: Jay Presson Allen
- 1996: Ernest Kinoy
- 1995: Robert Benton
- 1994: Walter Bernstein
- 1993: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
- 1992: Ring Lardner, Jr.
The Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence was created in 2006 in honor of Sargent, who was president of the Writers Guild of America, East, for 14 years until his death on May 6, 2005. The Herb Sargent Award is awarded to a writer who embodies the spirit, commitment, and comic genius of Mr. Sargent as well as his dedication to mentoring new writers. A legendary writer and television producer, Sargent’s credits include being a writer/producer of Saturday Night Live for more than 20 years, the screenplay of Bye Bye Braverman, television specials for Bing Crosby, Milton Berle, Perry Como, Sammy Davis Jr., Alan King, Paul McCartney, Lily Tomlin, and Burt Bacharach, as well as extensive work in radio in the 1940s.
- 2018: Tina Fey and Robert Carlock
- 2017: Steve O’Donnell
- 2013: Not Awarded
- 2012: Judd Apatow
- 2011: Not Awarded
- 2010: Gary David Goldberg
- 2009: Norman Stiles
- 2008: Not Awarded
- 2007: Lorne D. Michaels
- 2006: James L. Brooks
The Evelyn F. Burkey Award was established in 1978 to honor Burkey, who dedicated her professional life to supporting and helping writers. Burkey helped create the Writers Guild of America, East, in 1953 as the union of film, television and radio writers, independent of precursor organizations. She was the WGAE’s executive director until her retirement in 1972. The Burkey Award continues her mission by recognizing a person or an organization “whose contributions have brought honor and dignity to writers everywhere.”
- 2016: Senator Al Franken
- 2015: Norman Lear
- 2014: James Schamus
- 2013: Not Awarded
- 2012: Not Awarded
- 2011: The Television Academy Foundation’s Archive of American Television
- 2010: Edward Albee
- 2009: Committee to Protect Journalists
- 2008: Walter Bernstein
- 2007: Joan Didion
- 2006: Museum of Television and Radio
- 2005: Claire Labine
- 2004: Senator John McCain
- 2003: Martin Scorsese
- 2002: Colin Callender
- 2001: Tom Fontana
- 2000: Vaclav Havel
- 1999: David Brown
- 1998: Judy Crichton
- 1997: Sidney Lumet
- 1996: Ken Saro-Wiwa (posthumously)
- 1995: Dennis Potter(posthumously)
- 1994: Joan Ganz Cooney
- 1993: Arthur Miller
- 1992: Jacqueline Babbin
- 1991: George Schaefer
- 1990: Art Buchwald
- 1989: Horton Foote
- 1988: Andrew A. Rooney & Local 1101 & District 1 of the Communication Workers of America
- 1987: Edwin Newman
- 1986 Athol Fugard & Lloyd Richards
- 1985: Jerome B. Lurie
- 1984: Leonard Wasser
- 1983: Alan Wagner
- 1982: Herbert Brodkin
- 1981: Elmer W. Lower
- 1980: Walter Cronkite
- 1979: Barbara Schultz
- 1978: Fred Coe
The Richard B. Jablow Award was established in 1978 to recognize devoted service to the Guild. It was created in honor of Richard B. Jablow, who helped found the WGAE, authored its constitution, and served as its first counsel.
- 2018: Hamilton Nolan
- 2017: Courtney Simon
- 2016: Melissa Salmons
- 2015: Jeremy Pikser
- 2014: Philip V. Pilato
- 2013: Bob Schneider
- 2012: Susan Kim
- 2011: Marianne Pryor
- 2010: David Steven Cohen
- 2009: Chris Albers & Tom Fontana
- 2008: Catherine Twohill
- 2007: Gail Lee
- 2006: Warren Leight
- 2005: John Auerbach
- 2004: Ellen M. Violett
- 2003: James Schamus
- 2002: Stephen Schiff
- 2001: Richard Wesley
- 2000: Ruth Gallo
- 1999: James H. Kaye
- 1998: Michael Winship
- 1997: Bruce R. Campbell
- 1996: Edward Pomerantz
- 1995: Albert Ruben
- 1994: George Malko
- 1993: Willie Kathryn Suggs
- 1992: Jane Bolllinger
- 1991: Corinne Jacker
- 1990: Herb Sargent
- 1989: Edward Adler & Mona Mangan
- 1988: Marc Siegel
- 1987: Claire Wood Labine
- 1986: Art Wallace
- 1985: Craig B. Fisher
- 1984: Ernest Pendrell
- 1983: Elihu Winer
- 1982: Jerome Coopersmith
- 1981: Ernest Kinoy & Loring Mandel
- 1980: Manya Starr & David Davidson
- 1979: Not Awarded
- 1978: Richard B. Jablow in memoriam
The Walter Bernstein Award was named in honor of one of the Writers Guild East’s most distinguished and courageous members, the Walter Bernstein Award is presented to honor writers who have demonstrated with creativity, grace and bravery a willingness to confront social injustice in the face of adversity.
- 2017: Jelani Cobb
The Writers Guild of America, East Foundation’s Michael Collyer Memorial Fellowship in Screenwriting is funded by the Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation, and is awarded to a student who plans to pursue a career in screenwriting upon his/her undergraduate course of study. The recipient receives a $10,000 stipend to write an original screenplay under the mentorship of a prominent screenwriter. The fellowship honors Michael Collyer, a distinguished entertainment attorney in New York City, who for four decades practiced primarily at his namesake firm Kay Collyer & Boose and specialized in television financing and production.
- 2018: Nicole Landau
- 2017: Joe Walters
- 2016: Bo Shim
- 2015: Megan Rico
- 2014: Hennah Sekandary
- 2013: Heather Dunoon
- 2012: Hailey O’Brien
- 2011: James DiLapo
- 2010: Antal Zambo
- 2009: Sara Van Acker
The John Merriman Award for Study in Broadcast Journalism at American University honors John Merriman who was WGAE president and also news editor of the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite when he was killed in the crash of an Eastern Airlines jet in Charlotte, N.C. in 1974. The award honors Merriman’s passion for good grammar, writing, and journalism, and supports the graduate broadcast program founded by CBS News colleague and friend, Ed Bliss. Walter Cronkite presented the first Merriman Award in 1975.
- 2017: Joe Walters
- 2016: Haweya Fadal
- 2015: Liz Essley White
- 2014: Rachel Baye
- 2013: Lynh Bui
- 2012: David Shultz
- 2011: Jeremy Borden
- 2010: Philippa Levenberg
- 2009: Sarah Tobianski
- 2008: Lagan Sebert
- 2007: Diana F. Davis
- 2006: Monika Evstatieva
- 2005: Scarlotte Deupree
- 2004: Michael Meneer
- 2003: Stacey Brooks Delo
- 2002: Tracy Johnke
- 2001: Muthoni Muturi
- 2000: Michele Cohen
- 1999: Kathleen Connorton
- 1998: Amy M. Quinton
- 1997: Gehane N. M. Salim
- 1996: Rosabel Tibayan Castillo
- 1995: Meredith L. Lefforge
- 1994: Joshua M. Kerns
- 1993: Stephanie Claire Griggs
- 1992: Al Freeman
Sponsors
Sponsorship Opportunities
The Writers Guild Awards are covered by leading industry publications and receive national attention during awards season. We offer a variety of sponsorship packages, all of which give brands a platform to reach consumers, VIPs, and industry leaders across the country.
Sponsorship is inclusive of a combination of specialty assets, marketing & advertising, on-site promotion, and Awards show tickets.
To request the 2019 WGA Awards Sponsorship Deck or Program Ad Rate Card, contact Dana Weissman at dweissman@wgaeast.org or 212-767-7835.
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Placing an advertisement in the Writers Guild Awards program ensures that your brand will be seen by hundreds of the best writers and creative minds in the industry. We offer a range of program advertisement options.*
To request the 2019 WGA Awards Sponsorship Deck or Program Ad Rate Card, contact Dana Weissman at dweissman@wgaeast.org or 212-767-7835.
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Press
For media inquiries about the 2019 Writers Guild Awards New York City show, please contact Jenny Chang at jenny@pkpr.com or Jason Gordon at jgordan@wgaeast.org.
