Writers Guild of America Announces Its 2012 Award Nominees

Tuesday saw the nominations for the 2012 Producers Guild Awards announced, and today, it’s the writers’ turn; the Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of America, East have announced the nominees for its 64th annual Writers Guild Awards, taking place on February 19th, 2012 in simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.

Among the films nominated are Bridesmaids, which continues its impressive (especially for an R-rated comedy) streak of awards nominations, and Young Adult, written by Diablo Cody, who won the Writers Guild Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2008 for Juno. Also of note is previous winner Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List), whose adapted screenplays for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Moneyball both received nominations.

As is the case every year, several films were knocked out of contention for not adhering to the guild’s minimum basic agreement (or, in some cases, having been made under agreements with affiliated foreign guilds). Generally speaking, the stricter eligibility rules set down by the WGA narrows their pool of possible nominees to approximately one-third the size of that of the Oscars. This year’s list of films ineligible to receive a Writers Guild Award is both large and chock-full of Oscar favorites, and includes The Artist, Beginners, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Shame, Like Crazy, Margin Call, Take Shelter, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Drive, Carnage, The Skin I Live In, Albert Nobbs and My Week with Marilyn.

The complete list of films nominated in the Writers Guild Awards film categories is below; for a complete list of the nominees—including those in the television and radio categories—visit www.wga.org or wgae.org.

Original Screenplay
50/50, written by Will Reiser
Bridesmaids, written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
Midnight in Paris, written by Woody Allen
Win Win, written by Thomas McCarthy
Young Adult, written by Diablo Cody

Adapted Screenplay
The Descendants, screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash; based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, screenplay by Steven Zaillian, based on the novel by Stieg Larsson
The Help, screenplay by Tate Taylor, based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett
Hugo, screenplay by John Logan, based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Moneyball, screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, story by Stan Chervin;, based on the book by Michael Lewis

Documentary Screenplay
Better This World, written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, written by Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek
Nostalgia for the Light, written by Patricio Guzmán
Pina, screenplay by Wim Wenders
Position Among the Stars, script by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich 
Senna, written by Manish Pandev