2026 Writers Guild Awards: Winners and Nominees

The Writers Guild of America (WGA), the labor union representing writers in film, television, radio, and digital media, continues its long-standing mission of advocating for writers’ rights, fair contracts, and creative recognition. With its East and West branches, the organization plays a crucial role in shaping the entertainment industry. Each year, the WGA honors excellence in writing through its annual awards ceremony.

On March 8, 2026, the 78th Annual Writers Guild Awards were held in New York City, celebrating outstanding achievements in film, television, streaming, and news. This year’s ceremony highlighted an impressive range of storytelling, with major wins for Sinners, One Battle After Another, and The Pitt.

In the Original Screenplay category, Sinners, written by Ryan Coogler for Warner Bros. Pictures, took home the award. The other nominees included Black Bag, written by David Koepp; If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, written by Mary Bronstein; Marty Supreme, written by Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie; and Weapons, written by Zach Cregger.

The award for Adapted Screenplay went to One Battle After Another, written by Paul Thomas Anderson and inspired by the novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon. The category also featured Bugonia, written by Will Tracy; Frankenstein, written by Guillermo del Toro and based on Mary Shelley’s classic novel; Hamnet, written by Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell; and Train Dreams, written by Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar.

In the Documentary Screenplay category, 2,000 Meters to Andriivka, written by Mstyslav Chernov, earned the top honor. It was nominated alongside Becoming Led Zeppelin, written by Bernard MacMahon and Allison McGourty, and White with Fear, written by Andrew Goldberg.

Television and streaming categories were led by The Pitt, which won both Drama Series and New Series. Other nominees in Drama Series included Andor, Pluribus, Severance, and The White Lotus. In Comedy Series, The Studio claimed the award, competing against Abbott Elementary, The Chair Company, Hacks, and The Rehearsal.

The Limited Series category was won by Dying for Sex, which stood out among nominees such as The Beast in Me, Black Rabbit, Death by Lightning, and Sirens. In the category of Television and Streaming Motion Pictures, Deep Cover took the award over The Best You Can, The Life List, and Swiped.

In Animation, the episode “Shira Can’t Cook” from Long Story Short was recognized as the winner. Other nominated episodes included “Abe League of Their Moe” from The Simpsons, “Don’t Worry, Be Hoopy” from Bob’s Burgers, “It’s a Beef-derful Life” from The Great North, “Parahormonal Activity” from The Simpsons, and “Scared Screenless” from Futurama.

Overall, the 2026 Writers Guild Awards reflected the continued strength and diversity of storytelling across all forms of media. From original screenplays to innovative television series, this year’s winners demonstrated the importance of strong writing in shaping compelling and meaningful entertainment.