The 77th Annual Writers Guild Awards

Scott Frank — Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement

Frank, who marks his 40^th year as a WGA member in 2025, has had an extraordinary career screenwriting, directing and producing for both film and television.

With five Writers Guild Award nominations under his belt, Frank won “Best Adapted Screenplay” for OUT OF SIGHT (1998) and “Best Adapted Longform Screenplay” for THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT (2020). OUT OF SIGHT, a multi-layered heist film that helped pioneer a new texture for the genre, was also nominated for “Best Adapted Screenplay” at the Academy Awards.

Most recently, Frank joined Tom Fontana (OZ, HOMICIDE, THE JURY) as co-creators, writers and executive producers on mini-series MONSIEUR SPADE. MONSIEUR SPADE centers around retired detective Sam Spade, the infamous protagonist of Dashiell Hammett’s 1930 classic novel The Maltese Falcon, who returns to the action after a murder shocks a small town in the South of France.

Frank’s screenwriting credits further include masterful adaptations of Elmore Leonard novel GET SHORTY, Philip K. Dick novella MINORITY REPORT, John Grogan memoir MARLEY & ME and Marvel comic book stories THE WOLVERINE and LOGAN.  LOGAN earned Frank his second Academy Award nomination for “Best Adapted Screenplay.”

Frank began his career as a writer on the series THE WONDER YEARS and his early film credits include the Kenneth Branagh directed thrilled DEAD AGAIN and the Jodie Foster directed coming-of-age drama LITTLE MAN TATE.

Kathy McGee – Richard B. Jablow Award

A Writers Guild of America East member since 1997, Kathy McGee is an Emmy Award-winning news writer/producer at WCBS-TV and has been active in the WGAE for more than 20 years. She writes for the 5pm, 6pm, 8pm and 11pm weekday newscasts.  Kathy is a journalist with a passion for stories about theater and cultural arts.  Kathy covers Broadway and has co-produced the “At The Tonys” special that airs in June on CBS stations across the country.  She has served as shop leader at WCBS-TV since 2006 and is a member of the bargaining committee for CBS contracts.

Kathy served as the Guild’s Vice President from 2019 to 2021 and Vice President of the Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News sector between 2022 to 2024. She also served as a Council member from 2014 to 2019.

In addition, Kathy is a member of the Guild’s Committee for Inclusion and Equity, the WGAE Activities Committee, the WGAE Black Writers Salon and is a longtime member of the National Association of Black Journalists.

In a statement, Kathy McGee said, “I am filled with gratitude and joy and thank the committee for this honor.   I began my broadcast news career nearly 40 years ago and am proud to have spent the last two decades in solidarity with members of the WGA East advocating for journalists and storytellers while encouraging the next generation of union leaders.”

Established in 1992 and named in memory of longtime WGAE member Ian McLellan Hunter, the Hunter 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.

Past Recipients

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.”

Past Recipients

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.

Past Recipients

Established in 1978 to recognize devoted service to the Guild, the Jablow Award was created in honor of Richard B. Jablow, who helped found the WGAE, authored its constitution, and served as its first counsel.

Past Recipients

Named in honor of one of the Writers Guild of America, 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.

Past Recipients