WRITERS GUILDS LAUNCH SUBMISSIONS FOR THIRD ANNUAL WGA VIDEOGAME WRITING AWARD

Los Angeles and New York – Recognizing writers as primary content creators in today’s thriving gaming industry, the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) have announced a joint call for submissions for the WGA’s third annual Videogame Writing Award to be presented at the upcoming 2010 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 20, 2010, at simultaneous ceremonies in New York and Los Angeles.

Submissions for this year’s Videogame Writing Award may be received from September 2 through December 1, 2009. Nominees will be announced in mid-January 2010.

Past Videogame Writing Award winners include Dead Head Fred (written by Dave Ellis and Adam Cogan) in 2008, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (writers Haden Blackman, Shawn Pitman, John Stafford and Cameron Suey) at the 2009 Writers Guild Awards this past February.

Established by the Guilds’ Videogame Writers Caucus to encourage storytelling excellence in videogames, improve the status of writers, and promote uniform standards within the gaming industry, the WGA Videogame Writing Award recognizes essential creative contributions made by videogame writers to today’s crop of best-selling games as a competitive pastime, source of entertainment, and global cultural phenomenon. As videogame writers increasingly emerge as central players in this cutting-edge medium, both the WGAE and WGAW continue to work together to bring more videogame projects under Guild jurisdiction to ensure writers receive the benefits of a WGA contract.

Qualifications for WGA Videogame Writing Award eligibility include:The award will go 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 12/1/08 and 11/30/09. Submission deadline is 12/1/09, 5:00 p.m. (PST)Work that was not produced under WGA jurisdiction may 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, the credited writer(s) of the game must be, or apply to become, a member of the WGA’s Videogame Writers Caucus.

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

The 2010 Writers Guild Awards will be on Saturday, February 20, 2010, at ceremonies held simultaneously in New York City and in Los Angeles, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel.

Further inquiries about the WGA Videogame Writing Award may be directed to Melissa Gage in the WGAW Awards Dept. at (323) 782-4571; email: mgage@wga.org, or to Nancy Hathorne in the WGAE Awards Dept. at 212-767-7812, email: nhathorne@wgaeast.org.

For more information about the 2010 Writers Guild Awards submission process, guidelines, and official entry forms, please visit www.wgaeast.org or www.wga.org.

For media press inquiries about the 2010 Writers Guild Awards New York show, please contact Sherry Goldman in the WGAE Press Office at (718) 224-4133 or email: sherry@goldmanpr.net; or visit online at: www.wgaeast.org.

For media inquiries about the 2010 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles show, please contact Gregg Mitchell in the WGAW Communications Department at: (323) 782-4574, email: gmitchell@wga.org, or visit online at: www.wga.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, new 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.