Los Angeles and New York – The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have announced a call for submissions for this year’s WGA New Media and Videogame Writing Awards, to be presented at the upcoming 2013 Writers Guild Awards on Sunday, February 17, 2013.

The Writers Guild Awards honor outstanding writing in film, television, new media, videogames, news, radio and promotional writing, and graphic animation. The awards are presented jointly in all competitive categories during simultaneous ceremonies in New York and Los Angeles, and each Guild presents its own individual honorary awards.

The WGA’s Videogame Writing Award recognizes writers as primary content creators that help drive the videogame industry, and the WGA’s New Media Writing Awards honor outstanding achievement in writing for both original and derivative programs, spotlighting the diverse range of creative work broadcast via new media platforms.

Submissions for the 2013 WGA New Media Writing Awards will be accepted from September 4 through November 16, 2012.

Submissions for the 2013 WGA Videogame Writing Award will be accepted from September 4 through November 30, 2012.

Both WGA New Media and Videogame Writing Awards nominees will be announced early next year on January 16, 2013.

Eligibility criteria for the WGA New Media Writing Awards (Original and Derivative) are as follows:

• To be eligible for entry, an original stand-alone new media program or an original episode written for a new media series must have first been exhibited on a new media platform between 12/1/11 and 11/30/12.  For this purpose, a new media platform is defined as the Internet via a major video-sharing site or unique URL, mobile devices such as cell phones or PDAs, or any other established new media platform.
• The submission deadline is 5:30 p.m. (PST) on Friday, November 16, 2012.
• Only work that was written and produced under a WGA collective bargaining agreement and for which the Guild has determined the writing credits may be submitted.*
• Submissions will be accepted by mail or online.  Submission forms and information are available on the Guilds’ websites.
• Writers may submit either one stand-alone new media program or up to five episodes of a single new media series.  The award will be given to the credited writer(s) of the submitted program/episode(s), not to the series.
• The website listed in the nomination shall be the website wherein the series was first exhibited, as set forth on the submission form.  The Guild will exercise judgment as to whether additional URLs may be utilized.

• To be eligible for entry, a derivative stand-alone new media program or a derivative episode written for a new media series must have first been exhibited on a new media platform between 12/1/11 and 11/30/12.  For this purpose, a new media platform is defined as the Internet via a major video-sharing site or unique URL, mobile devices such as cell phones or PDAs, or any other established new media platform.
• The submission deadline is 5:30 p.m. (PST) on Friday, November 16, 2012.
• Only work that was written and produced under a WGA collective bargaining agreement and for which the Guild has determined the writing credits may be submitted.*
• Submissions will be accepted by mail or online.  Submission forms and information are available on the Guilds’ websites.
• Writers may submit either one stand-alone new media program or up to five episodes of a single new media series.  The award will be given to the credited writer(s) of the submitted program/episode(s), not to the series.
• The website listed in the nomination shall be the website wherein the series was first exhibited, as set forth on the submission form.  The Guild will exercise judgment as to whether additional URLs may be utilized.

WGA New Media Writing Awards are based strictly on written material.  Preliminary judging will be conducted by Guild members.  Each script that qualifies for final judging will be read by a panel of Guild members selected for their experience in the new media genre.

Eligibility criteria for the WGA Videogame Writing Award are as follows:

• The award is presented to the writer(s) of the best qualifying script from a videogame published in the previous year.  To be eligible for entry, games must have been released between 12/1/11 and 11/30/12.  The submission deadline is 5:30 p.m. (PST) on Friday, November 30, 2012.
• Work that was not produced under WGA jurisdiction may also be submitted.
• Submitted games must have separate credit for writing (i.e., Written By, Story By, Writer, Story Designer, etc.).  While there is no limit on the number of credited writers a particular game may have, credits not specifically tied to videogame writing are not acceptable (i.e., Lead Designer, Designed By, Produced By, etc.).  *Note: Writers of source material are not eligible for awards consideration.
• All submissions must be made in the name of the credited writer(s), and not the game itself. Scripts may also be submitted by the developer/publisher of the game, or by writer representatives, i.e., agents, managers, and publicists.  Entries submitted by anyone other than the writer(s) must include an entry form signed by the submitting writer(s).
• At the time the script is submitted, credited writer(s) of the game must be, or apply to become, a member of the Guilds’ Videogame Writers Caucus.

Preliminary judging for the Videogame Writing Award will be conducted by panels comprised of Videogame Writers Caucus and/or Writers Guild members active in the videogame writing arena.  Final judging will be handled by a panel of writers from the VWC and/or Writers Guild members active in videogame writing.

Further inquiries about the WGA New Media or Videogame Writing Awards may be directed to Jennifer Burt in the WGAW Awards Office at (323) 782-4569, email: , or to Dana Weissman in the WGAE Awards Office at (212) 767-7835, email: .

The 2013 Writers Guild Awards will be held on Sunday, February 17, 2013, at simultaneous ceremonies at the JW Marriott L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles and the B.B. King Blues Club in New York City.  For more information about the 2013 Writers Guild Awards submission process, guidelines, and official entry forms, please visit www.wga.org or www.wgaeast.org.

For media inquiries about the 2013 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles show, please contact Gregg Mitchell in the WGAW Communications Department at: (323) 782-4651 or email: , or visit online at: www.wga.org.

For media inquiries about the 2013 Writers Guild Awards New York show, please contact Jay Strell at Sunshine Sachs at (212) 691-2800 or email: ; or visit online at: www.wgaeast.org.

The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) are labor unions representing writers in motion pictures, television, cable, digital media, and broadcast news. The Guilds negotiate and administer contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of their members; conduct programs, seminars, and events on issues of interest to writers; and present writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America, East, visit www.wgaeast.org. For more information on the Writers Guild of America, West, visit www.wga.org.