57th Annual Writers Guild Awards Top TV & Film Scribes Selected
On Saturday, February 19, the Writers Guild of America announced the winners of the 57th Annual Writers Guild Awards in dual ceremonies held at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles and the Pierre Hotel in New York.
Fittingly for a ceremony divided between two cities, two Fox sitcoms tied for the award in the episodic comedy category: Jim Vallely and Mitchell Hurwitz were recognized for the “Pier Pressure” episode of Arrested Development and Neil Thompson was named for the “Ida’s Boyfriend” episode of Malcolm in the Middle. In the episodic drama category, Debora Cahn won for the “The Supremes” episode of NBC’s The West Wing.
Both longform awards went to HBO productions. Among original scripts, Peter Silverman and Robert Caswell won for Something the Lord Made, and in the adapted group, Tony Kushner prevailed for Angels in America.
Ian Maxtone-Graham led the animation category for the “Catch ’Em If You Can” episode of Fox’s The Simpsons. The comedy/variety series award went to the writing staff of NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien: Mike Sweeney, Chris Albers, Jose Arroyo, Andy Blitz, Kevin Dorff, Dan Goor, Michael Gordon, Brian Kiley, Michael Koman, Demetri Martin, Brian McCann, Guy Nicolucci, Conan O’Brien and Allison Silverman. The award for comedy/variety specials went to George Stevens, Jr. and Sara Lukinson for the CBS presentation The Kennedy Center Honors.
The daytime serials award went to David Kreizman, Tita Bell, Joyce Brotman, Christopher Dunn, Lloyd Gold, Kimberly Hamilton, Jill Lorie Hurst, Penelope Koechl, Eleanor Labine, Royal Miller, Casandra Morgan, Danielle Paige, David Smilow, Gillian Spencer, Brett Staneart, Donna Swajeski and Ellen Weston of CBS’s The Guiding Light. The children’s award went to Wendy Kesselman for her adaptation of John Knowles’ novel A Separate Peace for Showtime.
Among documentaries, the current events winner was Michael J. Kirk for the “From China with Love” episode of the PBS series Frontline and for productions other than current events the victor was Barak Goodman for the PBS American Experience episode titled “The Fight.” In news, the regularly scheduled, bulletin or breaking category went to Steve Alperin for coverage of Ronald Reagan’s funeral on ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. Best news analysis, feature or commentary went to Rebecca Peterson and Scott Pelley for the 60 Minutes II segment titled “Change of Heart.”
Among feature films, best original screenplay went to Charlie Kaufman for the Focus Features production Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, with a story by Kaufman, Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth, and best adapted screenplay went to Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor for the Fox Searchlight production Sideways, based on the novel by Rex Pritchett.
Honorary awards were also bestowed on both coasts. At the Los Angeles ceremony, the Screen Laurel Award went to David Mamet, the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television went to Susan Harris and the Paul Selvin Award went to Don Payne. In New York, the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Lifetime Achievement went to John Sayles, the Richard B. Jablow Award for Distinguished Service to the WGAE went to John Auerbach and the Evelyn F. Burkey Award for “bringing honor and dignity to writers everywhere” went to Claire Labine.