Could it be? CouldCODAnow officially be the front-runner at this week’s Academy Awards? The Apple TV+ drama has staged a phenomenal late-period show of strength; after picking up important precursor awards from theScreen Actors Guildand theProducers Guild,CODAalso won the Best Adapted Screenplay honor at Sunday’s Writers Guild of America awards. The film now has a realistic chance of winning in all three of its nominated categories at the upcoming Oscars.
For weeks, Netflix’sThe Power of the Doghad maintained its position as a firm favorite of the awards race. However, as recent events suggest, not only can it be overtaken by the relatively lowkey Sundance hit, this might also mean that Apple has a real shot at becoming the first streamer to pick up a Best Picture Oscar, despite Netflix having come close on numerous occasions in the recent past. Crucially, though,The Power of the Dog— as well asBelfastandThe Lost Daughter—wasn’t eligible for a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination at the 74th WGA awards. Written and directed byJane Campion, the Western leads with 12 nods at the Oscars.CODAinstead edged outDune;Nightmare Alley;tick, tick… BOOM!; andWest Side Story.
Written and directed bySiân Heder,CODAis a remake of the 2014 French filmLa Famille Bélierand tells the coming-of-age story of the only hearing member of a Deaf family. Having swept the Sundance Film Festival honors — it won the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast, the Directing Award, the Audience Award, and the Grand Jury Prize — the film was picked up by Apple for a festival record $25 million. Heder’s script is nominated alongside supporting actorTroy Kotsurat the Oscars, in addition to the film’s Best Picture nod.
RELATED:‘CODA’ Review: A Must-See Coming-of-Age Crowd-Pleaser Brimming with Soul
Netflix had reason to cheer, though. While its top dog, pun intended, was out of contention, thedivisive satirical comedyDon’t Look Up— written byAdam McKayandDavidSirota— won the Best Original Screenplay award at the WGA honors. The film is generally considered an Oscars' outcast, despite picking up four nominations, including Best Picture. Starring an ensemble led by A-listersLeonardo DiCaprioandJennifer Lawrence, the allegorical comedy presents a scenario in which two scientists discover that a giant planet-killer asteroid is headed towards Earth but can’t convince anybody to take them seriously.Don’t Look Upedged out fellow nomineesKing Richard,Licorice Pizza,Being the Ricardos, andThe French Dispatch.
On the television side, HBO’sSuccessionwas a double awardee — it won in the Drama Series and Episodic Drama categories.Hacksalso won two awards in the Comedy Series and New Series categories.
Two honorary awards were also presented during the virtual ceremony.Barry Jenkinswon the WGAW’s Paul Selvin Award for the episode “Chapter 9: Indiana Winter” of Prime Video’sThe Underground Railroad.The award is given to “the script that best embodies the spirit of the constitutional and civil rights and liberties that are indispensable to the survival of free writers everywhere.” Late-night television hostDick Cavettreceived the WGAE’s Evelyn F. Burkey Award, given for contributions that have brought honor and dignity to writers everywhere.
Here is the complete list of winners:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Don’t Look Up
Screenplay by Adam McKay, Story by Adam McKay & David Sirota; Netflix
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Screenplay by Siân Heder, Based on the Original Motion Picture La Famille Belier Directed by Eric Lartigau, Written by Victoria Bedos, Stanislas Carree de Malberg, Eric Lartigau, and Thomas Bidegain; Apple
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Exposing Muybridge
Written by Marc Shaffer; Inside Out Media
TELEVISION AND NEW MEDIA
DRAMA SERIES
Succession
Written by Jesse Armstrong, Jon Brown, Jamie Carragher, Ted Cohen, Francesca Gardiner, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Susan Soon He Stanton, Will Tracy; HBO/HBO Max
COMEDY SERIES
Written by Genevieve Aniello, Lucia Aniello, Joanna Calo, Jessica Chaffin, Paul W. Downs, Jess Dweck, Cole Escola, Janis Hirsch, Ariel Karlin, Katherine Kearns, Andrew Law, Joe Mande, Pat Regan, Samantha Riley, Michael Schur, Jen Statsky; HBO/HBO Max
NEW SERIES
ORIGINAL LONG FORM
Mare of Easttown
Written by Brad Ingelsby; HBO/HBO Max
ADAPTED LONG FORM
Written by Bekah Brunstetter, Marcus Gardley, Michelle Denise Jackson, Colin McKenna, Molly Smith Metzler, Inspired by the book by Stephanie Land; Netflix
ORIGINAL & ADAPTED SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA
Debunking Borat
Written by Robyn Adams, Paul Hogan, Jack Youngelson; Prime Video
“Planteau” (Tuca & Bertie)
Written by Lisa Hanawalt; Cartoon Network
EPISODIC DRAMA
“Retired Janitors of Idaho” (Succession)
Written by Tony Roche & Susan Soon He Stanton; HBO/HBO Max
EPISODIC COMEDY
“Alone At Last” (The Great)
Written by Tony McNamara; Hulu
COMEDY/VARIETY TALK SERIES
Head Writer: Matt O’Brien Writers: Jose Arroyo, Glenn Boozan, Daniel Cronin, Andres du Bouchet, Jessie Gaskell, Skyler Higley, Brian Kiley, Laurie Kilmartin, Todd Levin, Levi MacDougall, Conan O’Brien, Andy Richter, Frank Smiley, Mike Sweeney; TBS
COMEDY/VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson
Writers: Zach Kanin, Tim Robinson, John Solomon; Netflix
COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS
Full Frontal Wants to Take Your Guns
Head Writers: Kristen Bartlett, Mike Drucker Writers: Samantha Bee, Pat Cassels, Sean Crespo, Miles Kahn, Chris Thompson, Holly Walker, Alison Zeidman Writing Supervised by Joe Grossman, Sahar Rizvi Special Material by Michael Rhoa; TBS
QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Writers: Neil Casey, Jessica McKenna, Zach Reino, Niccole Thurman; Peacock
DAYTIME DRAMA
Days of Our Lives
Head Writer: Ron Carlivati Writers: Lorraine Broderick, Joanna Cohen, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Jamey Giddens, David Kreizman, Rebecca McCarty, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Katherine D. Schock, Elizabeth Snyder; NBC
CHILDREN’S EPISODIC, LONG FORM, AND SPECIALS
“The Tale of the Midnight Magic” (Are You Afraid of the Dark?)
Written by JT Billings and Alex Ebel; Nickelodeon
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS
“The Healthcare Divide” (Frontline)
Written by Rick Young; PBS
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS
“Citizen Hearst, Part One” (American Experience)
Written by Gene Tempest; PBS
NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“The Unequal Recession” (60 Minutes)
Written by Katie Kerbstat Jacobson, Scott Pelley, Nicole Young; CBS News
NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“Handcuffed to the Truth” (60 Minutes)
DIGITAL NEWS
“‘Men’s Rights Asians’ Think This Is Their Moment”
Written by Aaron Mak; Slate.com
RADIO/AUDIO WINNERS
RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
“One Year: 1977 ‘The Miracle Cure’”
Written by Evan Chung; Slate Podcast
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT—REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“Surfside Condo Collapse” (CBS World News Roundup Late Edition)
Written by Kathleen M. Biggins; CBS News Radio
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“The Tasmanian Devil Tattoo” (Decoder Ring)
Written by Benjamin Frisch; Slate Podcast
PROMOTIONAL
ON-AIR PROMOTION
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