Sinners and One Battle After Another took the top film prizes at the 2026 Writers Guild Awards, which were held Sunday in New York after the cancellation of the usual Los Angeles ceremony amid a labor dispute.
“Sinners,” written by Ryan Coogler, won for best original screenplay. Actor Miles Caton accepted the award on Coogler’s behalf, reading a prepared statement from the filmmaker.
“One Battle After Another,” written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, won the adapted screenplay category. Actor Shayna McHayle, who appears in the film, accepted the prize and read a statement from Anderson.
The Writers Guild’s adapted screenplay category mirrors the nominees for the Academy Awards, while the original screenplay lineup differs in several cases.
In television, The Pitt emerged as the night’s biggest winner, taking awards for best drama series, best new series and best episodic drama. The Studio won best comedy series, while The Righteous Gemstones was recognized for best episodic comedy. Dying for Sex won in the limited series category.
The ceremony was hosted by comedian Roy Wood Jr. at the Edison Ballroom in New York. It marked his third time hosting the event.
The guild traditionally stages parallel ceremonies in New York and Los Angeles. This year the West Coast event was scrapped because of a strike by staff at the Writers Guild of America West, which began Feb. 17 as the union negotiates its first contract with management. The New York ceremony proceeded because staff of the Writers Guild of America East are represented by a different union and are not part of the strike.
In remarks read during the ceremony, Coogler said the labor dispute involved “real issues” that needed to be resolved, suggesting it contributed to his absence from the event.
Other honors presented Sunday included the Walter Bernstein Award, which went to late-night host Stephen Colbert, and the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for career achievement, awarded to filmmaker Terry George.
In the documentary screenplay category, 2,000 Meters to Andriivka won the top prize.
Leave a comment