The 2024 Writers Guild Awards were recently held, and among the winners were Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers” and Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction.” These two films took home the top prizes at the strike-delayed event, which took place simultaneously in Los Angeles and New York. Cord Jefferson, in addition to winning for “American Fiction,” was also honored with the WGA West’s Paul Selvin Award, following his recent Oscar win for Adapted Screenplay. On the television side, HBO’s “Succession,” FX’s “The Bear,” and Netflix’s “Beef” all completed their award-season sweeps with wins in their respective categories.
One interesting aspect of the Writers Guild Awards is the eligibility criteria for nominated scripts. Unlike other guilds, the WGA deems any scripts for movies not produced under its Minimum Basic Agreement ineligible for an award. This means that films produced under a collective bargaining agreement with affiliated countries are the only ones considered for recognition. This rule sets the WGA Awards apart and adds a layer of exclusivity to the winners’ circle.
In addition to the main awards, the Writers Guild also presented a series of honors and tributes at the event. One of the highlights was a tribute to the members and leadership of IATSE, the Teamsters, SAG-AFTRA, and American Federation of Musicians for their support and sacrifice during the WGA’s 148-day strike the previous year. Other honorees included scribe Ron Nyswaner, who received the Walter Bernstein Award, Wanda Sykes, who was presented with the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence, and Tony Gilroy, who took home the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement.
The event was hosted by Niecy Nash-Betts in Los Angeles and Josh Gondelman in New York. With a star-studded lineup of hosts and presenters, the evening was a celebration of the best in film and television writing. The presence of industry insiders and creatives added to the prestige of the Writers Guild Awards and made for an unforgettable evening.
The ceremony concluded with a list of the winners across various categories, including Original Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay, Documentary Screenplay, Drama Series, Comedy Series, Limited Series, New Series, Animation, Episodic Drama, Episodic Comedy, and more. Each winner represented the best in their respective fields and showcased the talent and creativity of the writers honored at the 2024 Writers Guild Awards.
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