What is the best original screenplay of the year? Members of the Writers Guild of America have voted and it is Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s script for award-season juggernaut Everything Everywhere All at Once. The adapted screenplay trophy at the WGA Awards went to Sarah Polley’s screenplay for Women Talking.
The awards were handed out at concurrent ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York City Sunday, hosted by Janelle James and Michelle Buteau. The WGAs honor outstanding writing in film, television, new media, broadcast and digital news, radio/audio and promotional categories.
In the marquee television categories, Apple TV+’s Severance won for Drama Series and New Series, and FX’s The Bear took the trophyfor Comedy Series. HBO’s The White Lotus won for Limited Series, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver won for Comedy Variety Talk Series.
The juggernaut that is Everything Everywhere wrapped up its sweep of the major guild awards with the win, which comes after triumphs at PGAs, DGAs and the SAG Awards. It has 11 Oscar nominations, more than any other film, including Original Screenplay.
Other Oscar original screenplay nominees like The Banshees of Inisherin and Triangle of Sadness are ineligible because of WGA rules, as are the Academy’s Adapted nominees All Quiet on the Western Front and Living.
These exclusions happen every year because WGA-eligible films need to have been written under the guild’s Minimum Basic Agreement or under a similar agreements with international WGA-affiliated organizations.
The prize for Polley’s Women Talking, which also won the USC Scripter Awards, helped cement its front-runner status at the Oscars, which air next Sunday night.
Here are winners at the 2023 Writers Guild Awards:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Written by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert; A24
COMEDY/VARIETY TALK SERIES
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, Mark Kramer, Sofia Manfredi, John Oliver, Taylor Kay Phillips, Chrissy Shackelford; HBO/HBO Max
LIMITED SERIES
The White Lotus
Written by Mike White; HBO/HBO Max
DRAMA SERIES
Severance
Written by Chris Black, Andrew Colville, Kari Drake, Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman, Helen Leigh, Anna Moench, Amanda Overton; Apple TV+
NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“Targeting Americans” (60 Minutes)
Written by Scott Pelley, Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“Hail And Farewell: Saluting 5 Who Made A Difference”
Written by Gail Lee; CBS Radio
QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Baking It
Writers Neil Casey, Chad Carter, Jessica McKenna, Zach Reino; Peacock
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS
“Episode Two: An American (1775 – 1790)” (Benjamin Franklin)
Written by Dayton Duncan; PBS
ON AIR PROMOTION
“CBS Celebrates Juneteenth”
Written by Justin DiLauro; CBS News
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Moonage Daydream
Written by Brett Morgen; Neon
EPISODIC COMEDY
“The One, The Only” (Hacks)
Written by Lucia Aniello & Paul W. Downs & Jen Statsky; HBO/HBO Max
EPISODIC DRAMA
“Plan and Execution” (Better Call Saul)
Written by Thomas Schnauz; AMC
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“What I Wish I Knew Before I Started IVF” (The Waves)
Written by Cheyna Roth; Slate
COMEDY SERIES
The Bear
Written by Karen Joseph Adcock, Joanna Calo, Rene Gube, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Alex O’Keefe, Catherine Schetina, Christopher Storer; FX Networks
CHILDREN’S EPISODIC, LONG FORM AND SPECIALS
“Prison or Palace” (Life by Ella)
Written by Hernan Barangan; Apple TV+
DAYTIME DRAMA
Days of Our Lives
Head Writer Ron Carlivati Writers Lorraine Broderick, Jazmen Darnell Brown, Joanna Cohen, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Cheryl Davis, Kirk Doering, Christopher Dunn, Jamey Giddens, David Kreizman, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Katherine D. Schock; NBC
NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“The Water Crisis in Jackson, Mississippi” (CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell)
Written by James Hutton, Rob Rivielle; CBS News
DIGITAL NEWS
“How Oregon’s Prison System Retaliated Against Its Most Effective Jailhouse Lawyer”
Written by Jessica Schulberg; HuffPost.com
COMEDY/VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
Inside Amy Schumer
Writers Georgie Aldaco, Rosebud Baker, Jeremy Beiler, Cazzie David, Tova Diker, Derek Gaines, Jon Glaser, Jaye McBride, Tim Meadows, Christine Nangle, Daniel Powell, Tami Sagher, Amy Schumer, Joe Strazzullo, Sydnee Washington, Ron Weiner; Paramount+
TV & NEW MEDIA MOTION PICTURES
Honor Society
Written by David A. Goodman; Paramount +
NEW SERIES
Severance
Written by Chris Black, Andrew Colville, Kari Drake, Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman, Helen Leigh, Anna Moench, Amanda Overton; Apple TV+
SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA
Three Busy Debras
Written by Sandy Honig, Mitra Jouhari, Sarah Sherman, Alyssa Stonoha, Diana Tay, Evan Waite; Adult Swim
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS
“Lies, Politics and Democracy” (Frontline)
Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS
ANIMATION
“Rectify” (Undone)
Written by Elijah Aron & Patrick Metcalf; Prime Video
COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS
Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel
Written by Jerrod Carmichael; HBO/HBO Max
RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
“Like a Lion With No Teeth” (Crime Show)
Written by Emma Courtland & Cat Schuknecht; Gimlet Media
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Women Talking, Screenplay by Sarah Polley, Based upon the Book by Miriam Toews; Orion Pictures/MGM
