Awards Watch: The Writers Guild Nominations

The Writers Guild Award is one of the strictest in the award season.

Here’s how to qualify:

Feature films eligible for a Writers Guild Award were exhibited theatrically for at least one week in Los Angeles in 2009 and were written under the WGA’s Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) or under a bona fide collective bargaining agreement of the Australian Writers Guild, Writers Guild of Canada, Writers Guild of Great Britain, Irish Playwrights & Screenwriters Guild or the New Zealand Writers Guild.

Guilds like the DGA will nominate non-members.

Congrats to Nora Ephron for being the lone FEMALE nominated in the film (including documentary) categories.  We’re up one from last year where there NO women nominated.

Now, I’m not naive.  I know there are certain films in the hunt during awards season and since there are so few women writing films, women clearly have a harder time getting recognized during awards season.  The reason why I keep harping on these awards and nominations is that this process needs to be opened up more and while I’m sure that nobody is being shamed into including more women, maybe, just maybe, someone will pause sometime down the line and hire more women.  Ironically, the WGA is a guild that actually tracks it’s lack of progress.

By the way lest you think that maybe Jane Campion is not eligible because she is not a US based writer so maybe she wasn’t a part of the WGA…her script was eligible to be nominated in the original screenplay category and was overlooked again.  I can’t say anything more than I already have about how Jane Campion has been screwed this season.  Now what’s happening is that because it has been passed over so many times it has become easy to continue to ignore it.  It’s the reverse juggernaut.

But the real story is that we live in a world where a script of The Hangover (however funny it was) is more highly valued than Bright Star.  Enough said.

Women got multiple nominations in the TV department.

DRAMA SERIES

Breaking Bad, Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, George Mastras, J. Roberts, John Shiban, Moira Walley-Beckett; AMC
Dexter, Written by Scott Buck, Charles H. Eglee, Lauren Gussis, Clyde Phillips, Scott Reynolds, Melissa Rosenberg, Tim Schlattmann, Wendy West; Showtime
Friday Night Lights, Written by Bridget Carpenter, Kerry Ehrin, Ron Fitzgerald, Brent Fletcher, Etan Frankel, Jason Gavin, Elizabeth Heldens, David Hudgins, Rolin Jones, Jason Katims, Patrick Massett, Derek Santos Olson, John Zinman; NBC
Lost, Written by Carlton Cuse, Adam Horowitz, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Edward Kitsis, Damon Lindelof, Greggory Nations, Kyle Pennington, Elizabeth Sarnoff, Brian K. Vaughan, Paul Zbyszewski; ABC
Mad Men, Written by Lisa Albert, Andrew Colville, Kater Gordon, Cathryn Humphris, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton,  Brett Johnson, Erin Levy, Marti Noxon, Frank Pierson, Robin Veith, Dahvi Waller, Matthew Weiner; AMC

COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock, Written by Jack Burditt, Kay Cannon, Robert Carlock, Tom Ceraulo, Vali Chandrasekaran, Tina Fey, Donald Glover, Steve Hely, Matt Hubbard, Dylan Morgan, Paula Pell, Jon Pollack, John Riggi, Tami Sagher, Josh Siegal, Ron Weiner, Tracey Wigfield; NBC
Modern Family, Written by Paul Corrigan, Sameer Gardezi, Joe Lawson, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O ‘ Shannon, Brad Walsh, Caroline Williams, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker; ABC
The Office, Written by Jennifer Celotta, Danny Chun, Greg Daniels, Lee Eisenberg, Anthony Q. Farrell, Brent Forrester,  Daniel J. Goor, Charlie Grandy, Mindy Kaling, Ryan Koh, Lester Lewis, Paul Lieberstein, Warren Lieberstein, BJ Novak, Michael Schur, Aaron Shure, Justin Spitzer, Gene Stupnitsky, Halsted Sullivan; NBC

NEW SERIES
The Good Wife, Written by Angela Amato Velez, Corinne Brinkerhoff, Ted Humphrey, Dee Johnson, Todd E. Kessler, Michelle King, Robert King; CBS
Hung, Written by Colette Burson, Ellie Herman, Emily Kapnek, Brett C. Leonard, Dmitry Lipkin, Angela Robinson; HBO
Modern Family, Written by Paul Corrigan, Sameer Gardezi, Joe Lawson, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O ‘ Shannon, Brad Walsh, Caroline Williams, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker; ABC
Nurse Jackie, Written by Taii K. Austin, Liz Brixius, Rick Cleveland, Evan Dunsky, Nancy Fichman, Liz Flahive, Jennifer Hoppe, Mark Hudis, John Hilary Shepherd, Linda Wallem, Christine Zander; Showtime

EPISODIC DRAMA – any length – one airing time
“Come, Ye Saints” (Big Love), Written by Melanie Marnich; HBO
“Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency” (Mad Men), Written by Robin Veith and Matthew Weiner; AMC
“I Will Rise Up” (True Blood), Written by Nancy Oliver; HBO

LONG FORM – ORIGINAL – over one hour – one or two parts, one or two airing times
Grey Gardens, Teleplay by Michael Sucsy and Patricia Rozema, Story by Michael Sucsy; HBO
LONG FORM – ADAPTATION – over one hour – one or two parts, one or two airing times
America, Teleplay by Joyce Eliason and Rosie O’Donnell, Based upon the novel by E.R. Frank; Lifetime

ANIMATION – any length – one airing time
“The Burns and the Bees” (The Simpsons), Written by Stephanie Gillis; Fox

COMEDY / VARIETY – (INCLUDING TALK) SERIES
Saturday Night Live, Head Writer: Seth Meyers, Writers Doug Abeles, James Anderson, Alex Baze, Jessica Conrad, James Downey, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, John Lutz, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney, Paula Pell, Simon Rich, Marika Sawyer, Akiva Schaffer, John Solomon, Emily Spivey, Kent Sublette, Jorma Taccone, Bryan Tucker, Additional Sketch by Adam McKay, Andrew Steele; NBC
The Colbert Report, Head Writers: Barry Julien, Thomas Purcell, Writers Michael Brumm, Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Robert Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Peter Grosz, Peter Gwinn, Alon Jay Katsir, Frank Lesser, Opus Moreschi, Meredith Scardino, Allison Silverman, Max Werner; Comedy Central
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Head Writer: Steve Bodow, Writers Rory Albanese, Kevin Bleyer, Rich Blomquist, Tim Carvell, Wyatt Cenac, Hallie Haglund, JR Havlan, David Javerbaum, Elliott Kalan, Josh Lieb, Sam Means, Jo Miller, John Oliver, Daniel Radosh, Jason Ross, Jon Stewart; Comedy Central

COMEDY / VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS
“We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial,” Written by George Stevens, Jr., Michael Stevens and Sara Lukinson; HBO

DAYTIME SERIAL
All My Children, Written by Jeff Beldner, Joanna Cohen, Kate Hall, Chip Hayes, Michelle Patrick, Charles Pratt, Jr., Rebecca Taylor, Tracey Thomson, Addie Walsh; ABC
As the World Turns, Written by Peter Brash, Lisa Connor, Susan Dansby, Cheryl L. Davis, Leah Laiman, David A. Levinson, Leslie Nipkow, Jean Passanante, Gordon Rayfield, Courtney Simon; CBS
One Life to Live, Written by Shelly Altman, Ron Carlivati, Anna Theresa Cascio, Aida Croal, Carolyn Culliton, Janet Iacobuzio, Frederick Johnson, Sharon Lennon, Elizabeth Page, Melissa Salmons, Katherine Schock, Scott Sickles, Chris Van Etten; ABC
The Young and the Restless, Written by Amanda L. Beall, Tom Casiello, Lisa Connor, Janice Ferri Esser, Eric Freiwald, Jay Gibson, Scott Hamner, Marla Kanelos, Beth Milstein, Natalie Minardi Slater, Melissa Salmons, Linda Schreiber, James Stanley, Sandra Weintraub, Teresa Zimmerman; CBS

CHILDREN ‘ S EPISODIC & SPECIALS
“A Monster Problem” (Imagination Movers), Written by Randi Barnes, Rick Gitelson, Scott Gray; Disney Channel
“Mouse and Home” (Imagination Movers), Written by Michael G. Stern, Randi Barnes, Rick Gitelson, Scott Gray; Disney Channel
“Wild Nature Survivor Guy” (Sesame Street), Written by Christine Ferraro; PBS
CHILDREN’S SCRIPT – LONG FORM OR SPECIAL
“Another Cinderella Story,” Written by Erik Patterson, Jessica Scott; ABC Family
DOCUMENTARY – CURRENT EVENTS
“Black Money” (Frontline), Written by Lowell Bergman, Oriana Zill de Granados; PBS
“The Hugo Chávez Show” (Frontline), Written by Ofra Bikel; PBS
“The Madoff Affair” (Frontline), Written by Marcela Gaviria, Martin Smith; PBS

DOCUMENTARY – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS
Soul of a People: Writing America ’s Story, Written by David A. Taylor, Olive Emma Bucklin, Andrea Kalin; Smithsonian Channel
NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN OR BREAKING REPORT
“Recession Candy,” Written by R. Polly Leider; CBS
World News with Charles Gibson, Written by Lee Kamlet, Julia Kathan, Joel Siegel; ABC
NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“All Night Long” (Good Morning America ), Written by Mary Pflum; ABC
“Financial Fingers” (CBS News), Written by R. Polly Leider; CBS
“The Words That Won the White House” (Good Morning America), Written by Lisa Ferri; ABC

RADIO NOMINEES
DOCUMENTARY
2008 Year in Review, Written by Gail Lee; CBS
NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED OR BREAKING
So Many Goodbyes, Written by Gail Lee; CBS Radio
NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE OR COMMENTARY
Black History Month, Written by Arleen Lebe; CBS Radio
Farewells, Written by Gail Lee; CBS Radio
ON-AIR PROMOTION (RADIO OR TELEVISION)
How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Promo Process, Written by Michelle Straebler; WNBC
TELEVISION GRAPHIC ANIMATION
“ Hudson Splashdown” (CBS Evening News with Katie Couric), Shannon L. Toma; CBS

Documentaries eligible for a Writers Guild Award featured an on-screen writing credit and were exhibited theatrically in New York or Los Angeles for one week in 2009. While credited documentary writers were required to join the WGAE’s Nonfiction Writers Caucus or WGAW Nonfiction Writers Caucus to be considered, scripts need not have been written under WGA jurisdiction to be considered.