2025 Writers Guild Awards: ‘Anora’ and ‘Nickel Boys’ win top screenplay prizes
Anora kept up its impressive run to the Oscars on Saturday, adding the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay to its considerable haul. The win for the the Sean Baker film came a week after Anora swept the Directors Guild of America and Producers Guild of America top prizes, cementing itself as the frontrunner heading into the Academy Awards on March 2.
RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes‘ script forNickel Boys, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, scored for Best Adapted Screenplay at the WGA Awards, which honor the best writing in movies, television, news, and radio.
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The key WGA categories of Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay are seen as a bellwether for the impending Academy Awards, though the nominees rarely match up. Scripts produced outside the guild’s collective bargaining agreement or written by a non-union member are deemed ineligible. This year, six Oscar-nominated screenplays were not eligible at the WGAs: Conclave, Emilia Pérez, and Sing Sing in adapted, and The Brutalist, September 5, and The Substance in original.
The WGA lineup for Best Adapted Screenplay included two Oscar nominees, A Complete Unknown and Nickel Boys, plus Dune: Part Two, Hit Man, and Wicked.
And the guild’s Best Original Screenplay list featured the Oscar-nominated Anora and A Real Pain, as well as Challengers, Civil War, and My Old Ass.
On the television slate, Shōgun dominated with awards for Best Drama Series, New Series and Episodic Drama; Hacks won Best Comedy Series; and The Penguin won Best Limited Series.
SEEHow ‘Defying Gravity’ took flight: The untold story from 3 ‘Wicked’ Oscar nominees
Here is the complete list of 2025 WGA Awards winners:
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
A Complete Unknown, screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks; based on the Book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald; Searchlight Pictures
Dune: Part Two, screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts; based on the Novel Dune by Frank Herbert; Warner Bros. Pictures
Hit Man, screenplay by Richard Linklater and Glen Powell; based on the Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth; Netflix
[winner] Nickel Boys, screenplay by RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes; based on the Book The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead; Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios
Wicked, screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox; based on the musical stage play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, from the Novel by Gregory Maguire; Universal Pictures
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
[winner] Anora, written by Sean Baker; Neon
Challengers, written by Justin Kuritzkes; Amazon MGM Studios
Civil War, written by Alex Garland; A24
My Old Ass, written by Megan Park; Amazon MGM Studios
A Real Pain, written by Jesse Eisenberg; Searchlight Pictures
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
[winner] Jim Henson: Idea Man, written by Mark Monroe; Imagine Documentaries
Kiss the Future, screenplay by Bill S. Carter, story by Bill S. Carter and Nenad Cicin-Sain; Fifth Season
Martha, written by R.J. Cutler; Netflix
War Game, written by Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss; Submarine Deluxe
DRAMA SERIES
The Boys, written by Geoff Aull, Jessica Chou, Paul Grellong, Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Judalina Neira, David Reed, Anslem Richardson; Prime Video
The Diplomat, written by Peter Ackerman, Eli Attie, Debora Cahn, Anna Hagen, Julianna Dudley Meagher, Peter Noah; Netflix
Fallout, written by Jake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime Video
Mr. & Mrs. Smith, written by Carla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime Video
[winner] Shōgun, written by Shannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu
COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary, written by Quinta Brunson, Ava Coleman, 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 Bear, written by Karen Joseph Adcock, Joanna Calo, Rene Gube, Will Guidara, Matty Matheson, Alex Russell, Catherine Schetina, Christopher Storer, Courtney Storer; FX/Hulu
Curb Your Enthusiasm, written by Larry David, Jon Hayman, Justin Hurwitz, Carol Leifer, Stephen Leff, Jeff Schaffer, Nathaniel Stein; HBO/Max
[winner] Hacks, written by Genevieve Aniello, Lucia Aniello, Guy Branum, Jessica Chaffin, Paul W. Downs, Jess Dweck, Ariel Karlin, Andrew Law, Carol Leifer, Carolyn Lipka, Joe Mande, Aisha Muharrar, Pat Regan, Samantha Riley, Jen Statsky; HBO/Max
What We Do in the Shadows, written by Jake Bender, Max Brockman, Zach Dunn, Shana Gohd, Amelia Haller, Sam Johnson, Jeremy Levick, Chris Marcil, William Meny, Sarah Naftalis, Marika Sawyer, Paul Simms, Rajat Suresh, Lauren Wells; FX/Hulu
NEW SERIES
English Teacher, written by Brian Jordan Alvarez, Wally Baram, Jake Bender, Emmy Blotnick, Zach Dunn, Dave King, Stephanie Koenig, Jonathan Krisel, Paul Simms, Samantha Shier; FX/Hulu
Fallout, written by Jake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime Video
Mr. & Mrs. Smith, written by Carla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime Video
Nobody Wants This, written by Barbie Adler, Jane Becker, Jack Burditt, Vali Chandrasekaran, Craig DiGregorio, Erin Foster, Lindsay Golder, Steven Levitan, Pat Regan, Niki Schwartz-Wright, Neel Shah, Noelle Valdivia, Ron Weiner, Ryann Werner; Netflix
[winner] Shōgun, written by Shannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu
LIMITED SERIES
[winner] The Penguin, written by Vladimir Cvetko, Breannah Gibson, Erika L. Johnson, Lauren LeFranc, Corina Maritescu, Megan Martin, John McCutcheon, Shaye Ogbonna, Nick Towne, Noelle Valdivia, Kira Snyder; HBO/Max
Presumed Innocent, written by Miki Johnson, David E. Kelley, Sharr White; Apple TV+
Ripley, written by Steven Zaillian; Netflix
Say Nothing, written by Clare Barron, Joe Murtagh, Kirsten Sheridan, Joshua Zetumer; FX/Hulu
True Detective: Night Country, written by Katrina Albright, Alan Page Arriaga, Namsi Khan, Issa López, Chris Mundy, Wenonah Wilms; HBO/Max
TV & STREAMING MOTION PICTURES
[winner] The Great Lillian Hall, written by Elisabeth Seldes Annacone; HBO Max
Prom Dates, written by D.J. Mausner; Hulu
Rebel Ridge, written by Jeremy Saulnier; Netflix
Terry McMillan Presents Forever, written by Bart Baker; Lifetime
ANIMATION
“Bottle Episode” (The Simpsons), written by Rob LaZebnik and Johnny LaZebnik; Fox
“Cremains of the Day” (The Simpsons), written by John Frink; Fox
“Night of the Living Wage” (The Simpsons), written by Cesar Mazariegos; Fox
[winner] “Saving Favorite Drive-In” (Bob’s Burgers), written by Katie Crown; Fox
“The Tina Table: The Tables Have Tina-ed” (Bob’s Burgers), written by Greg Thompson; Fox
“Winter Is Born” (Blood of Zeus), written by Charles Parlapanides and Vlas Parlapanides; Netflix
EPISODIC DRAMA
[winner] “Anjin” (Shōgun), written for Television by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks; FX/Hulu
“The Beginning” (Fallout), written by Gursimran Sandhu; Prime Video
“Fear of the End” (Evil), written by Rockne S. O’Bannon and Nialla LeBouef; Paramount+
“First Date” (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), written by Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover; Prime Video
“Olivia” (Sugar), written by Mark Protosevich; Apple TV+
“Pilot” (Elsbeth), written by Robert King and Michelle King; CBS
EPISODIC COMEDY
“AGG” (Somebody Somewhere), written by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen and Bridget Everett; HBO/Max
[ winner] “Bulletproof” (Hacks), written by Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky; HBO/Max
“Linda” (English Teacher), written by Jake Bender and Zach Dunn; FX/Hulu
“Napkins” (The Bear), written by Catherine Schetina; FX/Hulu
“Once Upon a Time in the West” (Only Murders in the Building), written by John Hoffman and Joshua Allen Griffith; Hulu
“Petiole” (The Sticky), written by Brian Donovan and Ed Herro; Prime Video
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, Joe Opio, Randall Otis, Zhubin Parang, Kat Radley, Lanee’ Sanders, Scott Sherman, Jon Stewart, Ashton Womack, Sophie Zucker; Comedy Central
John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A., Writers Anna Drezen, David Ferguson, Fran Gillespie, Langston Kerman, Jeremy Levick, John Mulaney, Alex Scordelis, Rajat Suresh; Netflix
The Kelly Clarkson Show, head writer Jordan Watland; writers Kevin Hurley, Nik Robinson; Syndicated
[winner] 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/Max
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, head writers Ariel Dumas, Jay Katsir; writers Delmonte Bent, Michael Brumm, Aaron Cohen, Stephen T. Colbert, Paul Dinello, Glenn Eichler, Gabe Gronli, Barry Julien, Michael Cruz Kayne, Eliana Kwartler, Matt Lappin, Caroline Lazar, Pratima Mani, Felipe Torres Medina, Opus Moreschi, Carley Moseley, Asher Perlman, Michael Pielocik, Tom Purcell, Kate Sidley, Brian Stack, John Thibodeaux, Steve Waltien; CBS
Saturday Night Live, head writers Alison Gates, Streeter Seidell, Kent Sublette; writers Rosebud Baker, Dan Bulla, Megan Callahan-Shah, Steven Castillo, Michael Che, Mike DiCenzo, Alex English, Jimmy Fowlie, Martin Herlihy, John Higgins, Steve Higgins, Vannessa Jackson, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Ben Marshall, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Jake Nordwind, Ceara O’Sullivan, Josh Patten, Gary Richardson, Pete Schultz, KC Shornima, Will Stephen, Bryan Tucker, Asha Ward, Auguste White, Celeste Yim; NBC
COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS
The 77th Annual Tony Awards, written by Dave Boone; CBS
A Closer Look With Seth Meyers: Primetime Live Election Special, head writer Alex Baze; writing supervised by Mike Scollins; Closer Look writing supervised by Sal Gentile; written by Alex Baze, Bryan Donaldson, Sal Gentile, Matt Goldich, Allison Hord, Mike Scollins, Seth Meyers, Mike Shoemaker; NBC
[winner] Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die, written by Nikki Glaser; HBO/Max
Ramy Youssef: More Feelings, written by Ramy Youssef; HBO/Max
QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Jeopardy!, writers Marcus Brown, Michael Davies, John Duarte, Mark Gaberman, Debbie Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC
[winner] Pop Culture Jeopardy!, writers Marcus Brown, Buzzy Cohen, Michael Davies, Chip Dornell, John Duarte, Mark Gaberman, Debbie Griffin, Michele Loud, Traci Mack, Amy Ozols, Louis Virtel, Billy Wisse; Amazon Prime
DAYTIME DRAMA
Days of Our Lives, head writer Ron Carlivati; writers Sonja Alarr, Kirk Doering, Christopher Dunn, Jamey Giddens, David Kreizman, Henry Newman, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Katherine D. Schock; Peacock
General Hospital, head writers Elizabeth Korte, Chris Van Etten; writers Nigel Campbell, Ashley Cook, Emily Culliton, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Catherine LePard, Patrick Mulcahey, Dan O’Connor, Shannon Peace, Stacey Pulwer, Anne Schoettle, Scott Sickles, Micah Steinberg; ABC
[winner] The Young and the Restless, head writer Amanda L. Beall; writers Susan Banks, Jeff Beldner, Marin Gazzaniga, Lindsay Harrison, Marla Kanelos, Rebecca McCarty, Madeleine Phillips, Dave Ryan; CBS/Paramount+
CHILDREN’S EPISODIC, LONG FORM AND SPECIALS
“A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers” (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), written by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg; Disney+
“I’m Pogey” (Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock), written by Charley Feldman; Apple TV+
Out of My Mind, written by Daniel Stiepleman; Disney+
“The Sign Language ABCs” (Sesame Street), written by Jessica Carleton; HBO/Max
[winner] “Welcome to Spiderwick” (The Spiderwick Chronicles), written by Aron Eli Coleite; Roku Channel
SHORT FORM STREAMING
[winner] Die Hart 3: Hart to Kill, written by Tripper Clancy; Roku Channel
Tiny Time Travel, written by Annabeth Bondor-Stone, Cynthia Furey, Tim McKeon, Nikki Palumbo, Connor White, Moujan Zolfaghari; PBS Kids
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT
“The American Vice President” (American Experience), written by Michelle Ferrari; PBS
“The Cancer Detectives” (American Experience), written by Gene Tempest; PBS
[winner] “Part One: Inferno to Paradise”(Dante), written by Ric Burns and Riccardo Bruscagli; PBS
“Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal” (American Experience), written by Jamila Ephron; PBS
The Space Race, written by Mark Monroe; National Geographic Channel
NEWS SCRIPT — REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“Alabama IVF Ruling Sends Shockwaves Across America” (CBS Evening News), written by James Hutton, Rob Rivielle; CBS News
“Assassination Attempt” (CBS Evening News — Special Weekend Edition), written by Craig Wilson, James Hutton, Claudine Cleophat, Joe Clines, Rob Rivielle; CBS News
[winner] “Willie Mays Tribute” (CBS Newspath), written by Gerald Mazza; CBS News
NEWS SCRIPT — ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“Finding Cillian Murphy” (60 Minutes), written by Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Kristin Steve; CBS News
“Fine Print: Carl Hiaasen” (CBS Sunday Morning), written by Richard Buddenhagen, Lesley Stahl; CBS News
“History Repeats Itself in Northern Gaza One Year Later” (Ayman), written by Rajaa Elidrissi; MSNBC
[winner] “The Resistance” (60 Minutes), written by Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Kristin Steve; CBS News
“Understanding Travel Advisories” (ABC NewsOne), written by Erik Pierorazio; ABC NewsOne
DIGITAL NEWS
“The Food That Makes You Gay,” written by Jaya Saxena; Eater
“Mise-en-Seine: A Paris Olympics Diary,” written by Henry Grabar; Slate
“Sent by God,” written by Molly Olmstead; Slate
“The Unraveling of Nancy Mace,” written by Jim Newell; Slate
[winner] “What Is Hamas Thinking Now?,” written by Akbar Shahid Ahmed; HuffPost
RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
[winner] “Art on Trial” (One Year: 1990), written by Evan Chung; Slate
“Deadly Exes: Domestic Violence Awareness With Annie Elise” (Serial Killers), written by Maggie Admire; Spotify Studios
“A Hotbed of Homosexuality” (Slow Burn), written by Christina Cauterucci; Slate
“If You Give a Mouse a Cookie… Will He Want a Welfare Check?” (Decoder Ring), written by Cheyna Roth and Patrick Fort; Slate
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT — REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“6:40 a.m. News — Nov 6, 2023,” written by Philip Pilato; 1010 WINS AM & FM
“12-15-2023, World News This Week,” written by Joan B. Harris; ABC News Radio
“Inside a Gaza Hospital” (What Next?), written by Mary Harris and Rob Gunther; Slate
[winner] “Passages: Three Women Who Made a Difference,” written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“World News This Year 2023,” written by Robert Hawley; ABC News Radio
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT — ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“The Athleticism and Empathy of Horses” (Press Play 2024), written by Robert Hawley; ABC News Radio
“The Bleeding Edge” (Unexplainable), written by Byrd Pinkerton; Vox
[winner] “Charles Osgood Remembered,” written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
ON-AIR PROMOTION
“Fortune Favors the Bold. Promotions for Tracker and King & Conqueror,” written by Molly Neylan; CBS
[winner] “LC Voting Ads,” written by Desireena Almoradie, Angad Bhalla; YouTube
“NCIS: Season 21 Legacy, Launch and Beyond Trailers,” written by Erial Tompkins; CBS
“NYSNA AMC Campaign,” written by Adrianna Hernandez Stewart, Angad Bhalla; YouTube
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