The 2026 Writers Guild Awards ceremony, held Sunday in New York City, honored outstanding achievements in screenwriting and television writing. While the event celebrated the craft of storytelling, it was overshadowed by ongoing labor disputes within the Writers Guild of America (WGA), particularly the strike by WGA West staff, which led to the cancellation of the Los Angeles portion of the awards.
Key Wins and Notable Moments
The prestigious award for Best Original Screenplay was presented to Ryan Coogler for his film Sinners. Star Miles Caton accepted the award on Coogler’s behalf. In the Adapted Screenplay category, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another emerged victorious. Anderson was also absent, with cast member Shayna McHayle accepting the award and delivering a prepared statement from the writer-director.
The television categories saw significant recognition for The Pitt, which swept three awards: Best Drama Series, Best New Series, and Best Episodic Drama. The Studio secured the award for Best Comedy Series, while The Righteous Gemstones was honored for Best Episodic Comedy. The limited series category was won by Dying for Sex.
In addition to the competitive awards, the ceremony recognized significant contributions to the writing community. Stephen Colbert, host of The Late Show, received the Walter Bernstein Award, presented by Robert Smigel. Terry George was honored with the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement, with Don Cheadle presenting the accolade. Diana Son, known for her work on Law & Order, was presented with the Richard B. Jablow Award for her devoted service to the guild.
The Shadow of the Strike
This year’s Writers Guild Awards presented a bifurcated experience, with the New York ceremony proceeding while the Los Angeles event was canceled. The cancellation stemmed directly from an ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America West’s own staff, who have been on the picket line since February 17th. The WGA West staff union alleges unfair labor practices by management during their first contract negotiations.
WGAW President Michele Mulroney communicated the decision to cancel the Los Angeles ceremony in a letter to presenters and participants, stating, "An alternative celebration for this year’s Los Angeles-based nominees will be scheduled at a later date." Mulroney explained the guild’s stance: "Currently, the non-supervisory staff of the WGAW, represented by the Pacific Northwest Staff Union (PNWSU), is on strike. While I respect the staff’s right to strike, I also believe that you deserve an uncomplicated celebration of your achievements. We would not ask you, your guests, talent and crew to cross a picket line to attend." A similar message was conveyed to WGAW members.
While the East and West branches of the Writers Guild collaborate on contract negotiations, they operate as distinct unions. The WGA East’s staff union is organized under the United Steelworkers and is not participating in the strike. This separation allowed the New York ceremony to proceed, hosted by Roy Wood Jr. at the Edison Ballroom.
Screenplay Categories: A Look at the Winners and Nominees
The Writers Guild Awards often serve as a bellwether for Academy Award predictions, particularly in the screenplay categories. This year, the Original Screenplay category saw Sinners by Ryan Coogler take home the prize. Notably, both Sinners and Marty Supreme (written by Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie), another nominee, also received nominations from the Academy for the Oscars, indicating a strong alignment in critical recognition. The Adapted Screenplay category, which closely mirrors the Academy’s own, awarded One Battle After Another by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Full List of Winners and Nominees:
SCREENPLAY NOMINEES
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
- Black Bag, Written by David Koepp; Focus Features
- If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Written by Mary Bronstein; A24
- Marty Supreme, Written by Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie; A24
- Sinners, Written by Ryan Coogler; Warner Bros. Pictures (WINNER)
- Weapons, Written by Zach Cregger; Warner Bros. Pictures
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
- Bugonia, Screenplay by Will Tracy, Based on the Film Save the Green Planet Written and Directed by Jang Joon Hwan and Produced by Sidus; Focus Features
- Frankenstein, Screenplay by Guillermo del Toro, Based on Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley; Netflix
- Hamnet, Screenplay by Chloe Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell, Based on the Novel Written by Maggie O’Farrell; Focus Features
- One Battle After Another, Screenplay by Paul Thomas Anderson, Screen Story by Paul Thomas Anderson, Inspired by the novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon; Warner Bros. Pictures (WINNER)
- Train Dreams, Screenplay by Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar, Based on the Novella by Denis Johnson; Netflix
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
- 2,000 Meters to Andriivka, Written by Mstyslav Chernov; Frontline Features (WINNER)
- Becoming Led Zeppelin, Written by Bernard MacMahon & Allison McGourty; Sony Pictures Classics
- White with Fear, Written by Andrew Goldberg; Area23A
TELEVISION, STREAMING AND NEWS NOMINEES
DRAMA SERIES
- Andor, Written by Tom Bissell, Dan Gilroy, Tony Gilroy, Beau Willimon; Disney+
- The Pitt, Written by Cynthia Adarkwa, Simran Baidwan, Valerie Chu, R. Scott Gemmill, Elyssa Gershman, Joe Sachs, Noah Wyle; HBO | Max (WINNER)
- Pluribus, Written by Vera Blasi, Jenn Carroll, Vince Gilligan, Jonny Gomez, Peter Gould, Ariel Levine, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock; Apple TV
- Severance, Written by Adam Countee, Mohamad El Masri, Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman, Anna Ouyang Moench, K.C. Perry, Megan Ritchie, Erin Wagoner, Beau Willimon, Wei-Ning Yu; Apple TV
- The White Lotus, Written by Mike White; HBO | Max
COMEDY SERIES
- Abbott Elementary, Written by Quinta Brunson, Ava Coleman, Lizzy Darrell, 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 Chair Company, Written by Zach Kanin, Gary Richardson, Tim Robinson, Marika Sawyer, Sarah Schneider, John Solomon; HBO | Max
- Hacks, Written by Genevieve Aniello, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jess Dweck, Ariel Karlin, Andrew Law, Carolyn Lipka, Joe Mande, Aisha Muharrar, Pat Regan, Samantha Riley, Jen Statsky; HBO | Max
- The Rehearsal, Written by Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola; HBO | Max
- The Studio, Written by Evan Goldberg, Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck, Frida Perez, Seth Rogen; Apple TV (WINNER)
NEW SERIES
- The Chair Company, Written by Zach Kanin, Gary Richardson, Tim Robinson, Marika Sawyer, Sarah Schneider, John Solomon; HBO | Max
- The Pitt, Written by Cynthia Adarkwa, Simran Baidwan, Valerie Chu, R. Scott Gemmill, Elyssa Gershman, Joe Sachs, Noah Wyle; HBO | Max (WINNER)
- Pluribus, Written by Vera Blasi, Jenn Carroll, Vince Gilligan, Jonny Gomez, Peter Gould, Ariel Levine, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock; Apple TV
- The Studio, Written by Evan Goldberg, Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck, Frida Perez, Seth Rogen; Apple TV
- Task, Written by Brad Ingelsby & David Obzud; HBO | Max
LIMITED SERIES
- The Beast in Me, Written by Howard Gordon, C.A. Johnson, Ali Liebegott, Daniel Pearle, Gabe Rotter, Erika Sheffer, Mike Skerrett; Netflix
- Black Rabbit, Written by Zach Baylin, Sarah Gubbins, Kate Susman, Andrew Hinderaker, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Carlos Rios; Netflix
- Death by Lightning, Written by Mike Makowsky; Netflix
- Dying for Sex, Written by Sheila Callaghan, Harris Danow, Madeleine George, Elizabeth Meriwether, Kim Rosenstock, Sasha Stewart, Sabrina Wu, Keisha Zollar; FX/Hulu (WINNER)
- Sirens, Written by Bekah Brunstetter, Dan LeFranc, Colin McKenna, Molly Smith Metzler; Netflix
TV & STREAMING MOTION PICTURES
- The Best You Can, Written by Michael J. Weithorn; Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Deep Cover, Written by Derek Connolly & Colin Trevorrow; Prime Video (WINNER)
- The Life List, Screenplay by Adam Brooks, Based on the novel by Lori Nelson Spielman; Netflix
- Swiped, Written by Bill Parker & Rachel Lee Goldenberg and Kim Caramele; Hulu
ANIMATION
- “Abe League of Their Moe” (The Simpsons), Written by Joel H. Cohen; Fox
- “Don’t Worry, Be Hoopy” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Lindsey Stoddart; Fox
- “It’s a Beef-derful Life” (The Great North), Written by Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin & Wendy Molyneux; Fox
- “Parahormonal Activity” (The Simpsons), Written by Loni Steele Sosthand; Fox
- “Scared Screenless” (Futurama), Written by Bill Odenkirk; Hulu
- “Shira Can’t Cook” (Long Story Short), Written by Mehar Sethi; Netflix (WINNER)
EPISODIC DRAMA
- “7:00 A.M.” (The Pitt), Written by R. Scott Gemmill; HBO | Max (WINNER)
- “A Still Small Voice” (Task), Written by Brad Ingelsby; HBO | Max
- “Charm Offensive” (Pluribus), Written by Jonny Gomez; Apple TV
- “Execution” (The Handmaid’s Tale), Written by Eric Tuchman; Hulu
- “Got Milk” (Pluribus), Written by Ariel Levine; Apple TV
- “Reunion” (Forever), Written by Mara Brock Akil; Netflix
EPISODIC COMEDY
- “A Call from God” (Mo), Written by Mohammed Amer & Harris Danow; Netflix
- “Pilot’s Code” (The Rehearsal), Written by Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola; HBO | Max
- “Prelude” (The Righteous Gemstones), Written by John Carcieri, Jeff Fradley, Danny R. McBride; HBO | Max (WINNER)
- “The Promotion” (The Studio), Written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg & Peter Huyck & Alex Gregory & Frida Perez; Apple TV
- “The Sleazy Georgian” (Poker Face), Written by Megan Amram; Peacock
- “Worms” (The Bear), Written by Ayo Edebiri & Lionel Boyce; FX/Hulu
COMEDY/VARIETY SERIES – TALK OR SKETCH
- The Daily Show, Head Writer: Dan Amira Senior Writers: Lauren Sarver Means, Daniel Radosh Writers: David Angelo, Nicole Conlan, Devin Delliquanti, Zach DiLanzo, Jennifer Flanz, Jason Gilbert, Dina Hashem, Scott Hercman, Josh Johnson, David Kibuuka, Matt Koff, Matt O’Brien, Joe Opio, Randall Otis, Zhubin Parang, Kat Radley, Lanee’ Sanders, Scott Sherman, Jon Stewart, Ashton Womack, Sophie Zucker; Comedy Central
- Have I Got News for You, Head Writer: Mason Steinberg; Writers: Jim Biederman, Daniel Chamberlain, Jodi Lennon, Michael Pielocik, Jill Twiss; CNN, HBO | Max
- Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Senior Writers: Daniel O’Brien, Owen Parsons, Charlie Redd, Joanna Rothkopf, Seena Vali; Writers: Johnathan Appel, Ali Barthwell, Tim Carvell, Liz Hynes, Ryan Ken, Sofia Manfredi, John Oliver, Taylor Kay Phillips, Chrissy Shackelford; HBO | Max
- Late Night with Seth Meyers, Head Writer: Alex Baze; Supervising Writers: Seth Reiss, Mike Scollins; Closer Look Supervising Writer: Sal Gentile; Writers: Jermaine Affonso, Bryan Donaldson, Matt Goldich, Jenny Hagel, John Lutz, Seth Meyers, Amber Ruffin, Mike Shoemaker, Ben Warheit, Jeff Wright; NBC
- Saturday Night Live, Head Writers: Alison Gates, Erik Kenward, Streeter Seidell, Kent Sublette; Senior Writer: Bryan Tucker; Supervising Writers: Dan Bulla, Will Stephen, Auguste White, Celeste Yim; Writers: Steven Castillo, Michael Che, Mike DiCenzo, Jimmy Fowlie, Sudi Green, Martin Herlihy, John Higgins, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Allie Levitan, Ben Marshall, Lorne Michaels, Jake Nordwind, Ceara O’Sullivan, Moss Perricone, Carl Tart, Asha Ward; Weekend Update Head Writer: Pete Schultz; Weekend Update Writers: Rosebud Baker, Megan Callahan-Shah, Dennis McNicholas, Josh Patten, KC Shornima; NBC
- They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce, Writers: Andy Blitz, Kevin Dorff, Jon Glaser, Tami Sagher; ESPN
COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS
- 82nd Annual Golden Globes, Written by Barry Adelman, Nefetari Spencer, Mike Gibbons, Brian Frange, Sean O’Connor, Alex Baze, Bob Castrone, Chris Convy, Anna Drezen, Jess Dweck, Noah Garfinkel, Nikki Glaser, Lauren Greenberg, Ben Hoffman, Ian Karmel, Andrew Law, Mike Lawrence, Jon Macks, Bonnie McFarlane, Chris Spencer, Matt Whitaker; CBS
- The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: MAGA: The Next Generation, Written by Ian Berger, Devin Delliquanti, Jen Flanz, Jordan Klepper, Zhubin Parang, Scott Sherman; Comedy Central
- Marc Maron: Panicked, Written by Marc Maron; HBO | Max (WINNER)
- Conan O’Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Written by Jon Macks, Chris Convy, Lauren Greenberg, Skyler Higley, Ian Karmel, Sean O’Connor; Netflix
- SNL50: The Anniversary Special, Written by James Anderson, Dan Bulla, Megan Callahan Shah, Michael Che, Mikey Day, Mike DiCenzo, James Downey, Tina Fey, Jimmy Fowlie, Alison Gates, Sudi Green, Jack Handey, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Dennis McNicholas, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney, Jake Nordwind, Ceara O’Sullivan, Josh Patten, Paula Pell, Simon Rich, Pete Schultz, Streeter Seidell, Emily Spivey, Kent Sublette, Bryan Tucker, Auguste White; NBC
QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
- Celebrity Jeopardy!, Head Writer: Robert Patton Writers: Kyle Beakley, Michael Davies, Terence Gray, Amy Ozols, Tim Siedell, David Levinson-Wilk; ABC (WINNER)
- Jeopardy!, Writers: Marcus Brown, Buzzy Cohen, Michael Davies, John Duarte, Mark Gaberman, Debbie Griffin, Jim Rhine, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Amy Ozols, Billy Wisse; ABC
DAYTIME DRAMA
- Beyond the Gates, Writers: Sara A. Bibel, Jazmen Darnell Brown, Ron Carlivati, Susan Dansby, Cheryl L. Davis, Christopher Dunn, Robert Guza Jr., Gregori J. Martin, Lynn Martin, Danielle Paige, Judy Tate, Michele Val Jean, Teresa Zimmerman; CBS
- General Hospital, Head Writers: Elizabeth Korte, Chris Van Etten; Writers: Cathy LePard, Emily Culliton, Nigel Campbell, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Kate Hall, Stacey Pulwer, Ryan Quan, Louise Rozett, Scott Sickles, Micah Steinberg; ABC
- The Young and the Restless, Associate Head Writers: Jeff Beldner, Marla Kanelos, Dave Ryan; Writers: Susan Banks, Amanda L. Beall, Marin Gazzaniga, Rebecca McCarty, Madeleine Phillips; CBS/Paramount+ (WINNER)
CHILDREN’S EPISODIC, LONG FORM AND SPECIALS
- The First Snow of Fraggle Rock, Written by Matt Fusfeld & Alex Cuthbertson; Apple TV
- “Stay Out of the Basement: Part I” (Goosebumps), Written by Rob Letterman, Hilary Winston; Disney+
- Merry Giftmas, Written by Halcyon Person; Netflix
- “I Play Dodgeball with Cannibals” (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), Written by Craig Silverstein, Rick Riordan; Disney+
- “When We Lose Someone” (Tab Time), Written by Sean Presant; YouTube (WINNER)
SHORT FORM STREAMING
- The Rabbit Hole with Jimmy Kimmel, Writers: Jimmy Kimmel & Jesse Joyce; YouTube
- Sesame Street YouTube: Take a Moment with Jonathan Bailey, Written by Andrew Moriarty; YouTube
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS
- “Syria After Assad” (Frontline), Written by Martin Smith; PBS
- “The Rise and Fall of Terrorgram” (Frontline), Written by Thomas Jennings and A.C. Thompson; PBS
- “The Rise of RFK Jr.” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS
- “Trump’s Power & the Rule of Law” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS (WINNER)
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS
- “Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act” (American Experience), Written by Chana Gazit; PBS
- “Clearing the Air: The War on Smog” (American Experience), Written by Peter Yost & Edna Alburquerque; PBS
- “Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP” (American Experience), Written by Rob Rapley; PBS (WINNER)
- Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s, Written by Jason Sussberg; PBS
- “Mr. Polaroid” (American Experience), Written by Gene Tempest; PBS
NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN OR BREAKING REPORT
- “Devastating Flooding in Texas” (World News Tonight with David Muir), Written by David Muir, Karen Mooney, and Dave Bloch; ABC News
- “The L.A. Wildfires” (World News Tonight with David Muir), Written by David Muir, Dave Bloch, and Karen Mooney; ABC News
NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE OR COMMENTARY
- “Eye on America: Coldwater Creek,” Written by Cait Bladt; CBS News
- “Gaza, Hannah Arendt and The Banality of Evil,” Written by Basel Hamdan; MSNBC
- “Mysterious Russian Deaths” (60 Minutes), Written by Michael Rey, Cecilia Vega, Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News
- “Remembering Palestinian Journalists Killed by Israeli Forces,” Written by Lisa Salinas; MSNBC (WINNER)
- “Uphill Battle” (CBS News Sunday Morning), Written by Richard Buddenhagen, Kay Lim, Lesley Stahl; CBS News
DIGITAL NEWS
- “Altadena Residents Know Their Community Is Worth Rebuilding. Can They Protect Its Legacy?,” Written by Taiyler Mitchell; HuffPost
- “American Siberia,” Written by Alexander Sammon; Slate
- “An Isolated Boarding School Promised to Help Troubled Girls. Former Students Say They Were Abused,” Written by Sebastian Murdock and Taiyler Mitchell; HuffPost (WINNER)
- “How Cassie’s Lawsuit Against Diddy Galvanized A Movement of Survivors,” Written by Njera Perkins and Taiyler Mitchell; HuffPost
- “Trump Sent Them to Hell. Now He’s Erasing Them Altogether,” Written by Matt Shuham and Jessica Schulberg; HuffPost
RADIO/AUDIO NOMINEES
RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
- “Episode 2: A Game of Telephone” (Camp Swamp Road), Written by Heather Rogers, Rachel Humphreys, Colin McNulty; Spotify
- “Jerry Lewis’ Lost Holocaust Clown Movie” (Decoder Ring), Written by Max Freedman; Slate (WINNER)
- “Why Women Kill” (What Next), Written by Mary Harris and Elena Schwartz; Slate
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN OR BREAKING REPORT
- “ABC News Radio Top of the Hour News,” Written by Robert Hawley; ABC News Radio (WINNER)
- “CBS World News Roundup,” Written by Paul Farry and Steve Kathan; CBS News
- “Hasan Piker Knew Charlie Kirk” (What Next), Written by Mary Harris and Madeline Ducharme; Slate
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE OR COMMENTARY
- “How Will We Feed Our Neighbors?,” Written by Mary Harris and Anna Phillips; Slate
- “The Life and Legacy of Jimmy Carter,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio (WINNER)
- “We Made a Memecoin,” Written by Lizzie O’Leary, Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort; Slate
PROMOTIONAL WRITING NOMINEES
ON AIR PROMOTION
- “Behind the Crown: King & Conqueror EPK”, Written by Molly Neylan; CBS
- “CBS Comedy,” Written by Dan Greenberger; CBS (WINNER)
Broader Implications and Industry Context
The Writers Guild Awards have historically been a significant event for the entertainment industry, celebrating the foundational artistry of screenwriting. The dual ceremonies, a tradition for many years, underscore the national reach and importance of the WGA. However, the current labor climate introduces a complex layer to these accolades. The strike by WGA West staff highlights the internal challenges faced by the guild itself, raising questions about labor relations within unions and the broader implications for industry professionals.
The WGA’s dual branches, though working collaboratively on major contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), operate with distinct administrative structures. This distinction is crucial in understanding why the East Coast ceremony could proceed while the West Coast event was postponed. The WGA West staff’s action is a potent reminder that labor disputes are not confined to the employer-employee dynamic between writers and studios but can also occur within the organizations representing those writers.
The cancellation of the Los Angeles ceremony signifies a commitment from the WGAW leadership to uphold the principles of solidarity and avoid crossing picket lines, a stance that resonates deeply within a union-focused industry. The potential for a rescheduled Los Angeles event suggests a desire to still acknowledge the achievements of its members, contingent on the resolution of the labor dispute.
The performance of films and series at the Writers Guild Awards often correlates with their success at other major industry awards, including the Oscars and Emmys. The wins for Sinners and One Battle After Another in the screenplay categories, and the multiple wins for The Pitt in television, suggest these projects are strong contenders in future awards races. The inclusion of a full list of nominees and winners provides valuable data for industry analysts, critics, and audiences interested in the creative forces shaping contemporary media. The diverse range of categories, from feature films to digital news and radio documentaries, reflects the evolving landscape of storytelling and the expanding definition of "writing" within the entertainment industry. As the industry navigates these complex labor issues, the spotlight on the craft of writing remains as crucial as ever.
