Writers Guild of America Awards 2026: Major Wins for Sinners and The Pitt
Celebrating Excellence in Storytelling
The 78th Writers Guild of America Awards have revealed their winners, honoring outstanding storytelling in film and television. The event, held at the Edison Ballroom, recognized notable films such as Sinners and One Battle After Another, along with the acclaimed series The Pitt. This year's ceremony was particularly significant as it occurred amidst a strike affecting the West Coast event, with ongoing negotiations between the guild and major studios.
Highlights of the Night
Sinners and One Battle After Another Shine
Warner Bros. films took center stage in the screenplay categories, with Ryan Coogler's Sinners winning the Original Screenplay award, further solidifying its success this awards season. Paul Thomas Anderson also celebrated a win for Adapted Screenplay for One Battle After Another, based on Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland. Both films are now gearing up for the Academy Awards on March 15.
The Documentary Screenplay award went to Mstyslav Chernov for 2,000 Meters to Andriivka, which depicts a Ukrainian platoon's efforts to reclaim Andriivka from Russian forces during the ongoing conflict. In television, HBO's The Pitt excelled, winning all three categories it was nominated for, including Drama Series, New Series, and Episodic Drama for the episode 7:00 A.M. The hospital drama, featuring Noah Wyle, has been gaining traction in the awards circuit. Additionally, Apple TV+'s The Studio won the Comedy Series award, while HBO's The Righteous Gemstones took home the Episodic Comedy award for Prelude, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver won in the Comedy/Variety Series category.
Complete List of Winners
Full winners list
Here is the complete list of winners from the 2026 Writers Guild Awards:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Sinners – Written by Ryan Coogler; Warner Bros. Pictures
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
One Battle After Another – Screenplay by Paul Thomas Anderson; inspired by the novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon; Warner Bros. Pictures
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
2,000 Meters to Andriivka – Written by Mstyslav Chernov; Frontline Features
DRAMA SERIES
The Pitt – Written by Cynthia Adarkwa, Simran Baidwan, Valerie Chu, R. Scott Gemmill, Elyssa Gershman, Joe Sachs, Noah Wyle; HBO | Max
COMEDY SERIES
The Studio – Written by Evan Goldberg, Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck, Frida Perez, Seth Rogen; Apple TV+
LIMITED SERIES
Dying for Sex – Written by Sheila Callaghan, Harris Danow, Madeleine George, Elizabeth Meriwether, Kim Rosenstock, Sasha Stewart, Sabrina Wu, Keisha Zollar; FX/Hulu
NEW SERIES
The Pitt – HBO | Max
EPISODIC DRAMA
7:00 A.M. (The Pitt) – Written by R. Scott Gemmill; HBO | Max
EPISODIC COMEDY
Prelude (The Righteous Gemstones) – Written by John Carcieri, Jeff Fradley, Danny McBride; HBO | Max
COMEDY/VARIETY SERIES – TALK OR SKETCH
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – HBO | Max
COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS
Marc Maron: Panicked – Written by Marc Maron; HBO | Max
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS
Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP (American Experience) – Written by Rob Rapley; PBS
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS
Trump’s Power & the Rule of Law (Frontline) – Written by Michael Kirk and Mike Wiser; PBS
ANIMATION
Shira Can’t Cook (Long Story Short) – Written by Mehar Sethi; Netflix
TV & STREAMING MOTION PICTURES
Deep Cover – Written by Derek Connolly and Colin Trevorrow; Prime Video
DAYTIME DRAMA
The Young and the Restless – CBS/Paramount+
QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Celebrity Jeopardy! – ABC
CHILDREN’S EPISODIC, LONG FORM AND SPECIALS
When We Lose Someone (Tab Time) – YouTube
NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
Remembering Palestinian Journalists Killed by Israeli Forces – MSNBC
NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
Devastating Flooding in Texas (World News Tonight with David Muir) – ABC News
DIGITAL NEWS
An Isolated Boarding School Promised to Help Troubled Girls. Former Students Say They Were Abused – HuffPost
SHORT FORM STREAMING
The Rabbit Hole with Jimmy Kimmel – YouTube
PROMOTIONAL WRITING
CBS Comedy – CBS
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
ABC News Radio Top of the Hour News – ABC News Radio
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
The Life and Legacy of Jimmy Carter – CBS News Radio
RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
Jerry Lewis’ Lost Holocaust Clown Movie (Decoder Ring) – Slate