Get Out and Call Me By Your Name took the top prizes at the Writers Guild of America awards, in one of the final major awards-season bellwethers before next month’s Oscars.
Get Out, the smash-hit satirical horror written and directed by Jordan Peele, triumphed in the best original screenplay category, beating I, Tonya, Lady Bird, The Big Sick and current Oscar best picture favourite The Shape of Water. However, another best picture frontrunner, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, was ineligible at the WGAs because it did not meet the organisation’s signatory rules.
Call Me By Your Name took home the best adapted screenplay prize. The film, a gay coming-of-age drama adapted by veteran screenwriter James Ivory from André Aciman’s novel, won the award ahead of Logan, The Disaster Artist, Molly’s Game and Mudbound. Brett Morgen’s account of the work of wildlife expert Jane Goodall, titled Jane, won best documentary screenplay.
In the TV section, The Handmaid’s Tale continued its strong awards season showing, picking up best drama series and best new series. The dystopian drama, which stars Elisabeth Moss, was also a big winner at the Golden Globe and Emmy awards. Best comedy series went to the political satire Veep and Big Little Lies picked up the long-form adapted prize. Better Call Saul and Will & Grace picked up episodic drama and episode comedy awards respectively, while Last Week Tonight With John Oliver won the comedy/variety talk series prize, and Saturday Night Live took home the comedy/variety sketch series prize.
Select list of winners
Film
Original screenplay
Get Out
Adapted screenplay
Call Me By Your Name
Documentary Screenplay
Jane
Television
Drama series
The Handmaid’s Tale
Comedy series
Veep
New series
The Handmaid’s Tale
Long-form original programme
Flint
Long-form adapted programme
Big Little Lies
Comedy/variety talk series
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Comedy/variety sketch series
Saturday Night Live
Episodic drama
Better Call Saul (Chicanery)
Episodic comedy
Will & Grace (Rosario’s Quinceanera)
Documentary script (current events)
Frontline (Confronting Isis)
Documentary script (other than current events)
American Experience: The Great War Part II
Screen Laurel award (for screenwriting achievement)
James L Brooks
Paddy Chayefsky Laurel award (for television writing achievement)
Alison Cross
Paul Selvin award
Liz Hannah and Josh Singer (The Post)
Valentine Davies award (for civil and human rights efforts)
Dustin Lance Black
