Writers Guild Awards 2026 nominations: 'Sinners', 'Hamnet', 'One Battle After Another', 'Frankenstein' score big; 'Sentimental Value' ineligible

The Writers Guild of America has announced the list of nominees for the 2026 Writers Guild Awards. Coming in four days after the Academy Award nominations, the Guild announced on Tuesday the list of films vying for the top prize.

Among the long list of nominees from film and television, seven Oscar-nominated screenplays made the cut in top film categories, while some were barred as they were rendered 'ineligible'.The Best Adapted Screenplay category, will see all five of the Academy Award nominees 'Bugonia', 'Frankenstein', 'Hamnet', 'One Battle After Another' and 'Train Dreams' competing in a rare category where the two award shows are in complete alignment.The Best Original Screenplay race, however, held up the guild’s long-standing eligibility limitations. Of the five Oscar nominees, only 'Sinners' and 'Marty Supreme' qualified under WGA rules. They were joined by 'Black Bag', 'If I Had Legs I’d Kick You' and 'Weapons' in the original screenplay lineup.The three Oscar-nominated original screenplays like 'Blue Moon', 'It Was Just an Accident' and 'Sentimental Value', were ruled 'ineligible' for consideration.

This is because the films were not written by guild members or under a WGA collective bargaining agreement, penned by the United States-based guild. Over the years, the guild’s awards have offered limited insight into Oscar outcomes due to their restricted eligibility criteria.In the television categories, new series 'Pluribus' led with four nominations, followed by 'The Pitt' and 'The Studio', with three nominations each.

Meanwhile, 'Task', 'The Chair Company' and 'The Rehearsal' earned two nods. The list of nominees:

FILM CATEGORIES

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY'Black Bag', Written by David Koepp'If I Had Legs I’d Kick You', Written by Mary Bronstein'Marty Supreme', Written by Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie'Sinners', Written by Ryan Coogler'Weapons', Written by Zach CreggerADAPTED SCREENPLAY'Bugonia', Screenplay by Will Tracy, Based on the Film Save the Green Planet Written and Directed by Jang Joon Hwan and Produced by Sidus; Focus Features'Frankenstein', Screenplay by Guillermo del Toro, Based on Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley; Netflix'Hamnet', Screenplay by Chloe Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell, Based on the Novel Written by Maggie O’Farrell; Focus Features'One Battle After Another', Screenplay by Paul Thomas Anderson, Screen Story by Paul Thomas Anderson, Inspired by the novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon; Warner Bros. Pictures'Train Dreams', Screenplay by Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar, Based on the Novella by Denis Johnson; NetflixDOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY'2,000 Meters to Andriivka', Written by Mstyslav Chernov; Frontline Features'Becoming Led Zeppelin', Written by Bernard MacMahon & Allison McGourty; Sony Pictures Classics'White with Fear', Written by Andrew Goldberg; Area23A

TELEVISION, STREAMING, AND NEWS NOMINEES

DRAMA SERIES'Andor', Written by Tom Bissell, Dan Gilroy, Tony Gilroy, Beau Willimon; Disney+'The Pitt', Written by Cynthia Adarkwa, Simran Baidwan, Valerie Chu, R. Scott Gemmill, Elyssa Gershman, Joe Sachs, Noah Wyle; HBO | Max'Pluribus', Written by Vera Blasi, Jenn Carroll, Vince Gilligan, Jonny Gomez, Peter Gould, Ariel Levine, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock; Apple TV'Severance', Written by Adam Countee, Mohamad El Masri, Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman, Anna Ouyang Moench, K.C. Perry, Megan Ritchie, Erin Wagoner, Beau Willimon, Wei-Ning Yu; Apple TV'The White Lotus', Written by Mike White; HBO | MaxCOMEDY SERIES'Abbott Elementary''The Chair Company''Hacks''The Rehearsal''The Studio'NEW SERIES'The Chair Company''The Pitt''Pluribus''The Studio''Task'LIMITED SERIES'The Beast in Me''Black Rabbit''Death by Lightning''Dying for Sex''Sirens'TV & STREAMING MOTION PICTURES'The Best You Can''Deep Cover''The Life List''Swiped'ANIMATION'Abe League of Their Moe''Don’t Worry, Be Hoopy''It’s a Beef-derful Life''Parahormonal Activity''Scared Screenless''Shira Can’t Cook'EPISODIC DRAMA'7:00 A.M.' (The Pitt), Written by R. Scott Gemmill; HBO | Max'A Still Small Voice' (Task), Written by Brad Ingelsby; HBO | Max'Charm Offensive' (Pluribus), Written by Jonny Gomez; Apple TV'Execution' (The Handmaid’s Tale), Written by Eric Tuchman; Hulu'Got Milk' (Pluribus), Written by Ariel Levine; Apple TV'Reunion' (Forever), Written by Mara Brock Akil; NetflixEPISODIC COMEDY'A Call from God' (Mo), Written by Mohammed Amer & Harris Danow; Netflix'Pilot’s Code' (The Rehearsal), Written by Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola; HBO | Max'Prelude' (The Righteous Gemstones), Written by John Carcieri, Jeff Fradley, Danny R. McBride; HBO | Max'The Promotion' (The Studio), Written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg & Peter Huyck & Alex Gregory & Frida Perez; Apple TV'The Sleazy Georgian' (Poker Face), Written by Megan Amram; Peacock'Worms' (The Bear), Written by Ayo Edebiri & Lionel Boyce; FX/HuluCOMEDY/VARIETY SERIES – TALK OR SKETCH'The Daily Show', Head Writer: Dan Amira …'Have I Got News for You', Head Writer: Mason Steinberg …'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver', Senior Writers: Daniel O’Brien …'Late Night with Seth Meyers', Head Writer: Alex Baze …'Saturday Night Live', Head Writers: Alison Gates …'They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce', Writers: Andy Blitz …COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS'82nd Annual Golden Globes', Written by Barry Adelman …'The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: MAGA: The Next Generation', Written by Ian Berger …'Marc Maron: Panicked', Written by Marc Maron; HBO | Max'Conan O’Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor', Written by Jon Macks …'SNL50: The Anniversary Special', Written by James Anderson …QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION'Celebrity Jeopardy!', Head Writer: Robert Patton …'Jeopardy!', Writers: Marcus Brown …DAYTIME DRAMA'Beyond the Gates', Writers: Sara A. Bibel …'General Hospital', Head Writers: Elizabeth Korte …'The Young and the Restless', Associate Head Writers: Jeff Beldner …CHILDREN’S EPISODIC, LONG FORM AND SPECIALS'The First Snow of Fraggle Rock', Written by Matt Fusfeld & Alex Cuthbertson; Apple TV'Stay Out of the Basement: Part I' (Goosebumps), Written by Rob Letterman …'Merry Giftmas', Written by Halcyon Person; Netflix'I Play Dodgeball with Cannibals' (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), Written by Craig Silverstein …'When We Lose Someone' (Tab Time), Written by Sean Presant; YouTubeSHORT FORM STREAMING'The Rabbit Hole with Jimmy Kimmel', Writers: Jimmy Kimmel & Jesse Joyce; YouTube'Sesame Street YouTube: Take a Moment with Jonathan Bailey', Written by Andrew Moriarty; YouTubeDOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS'Syria After Assad' (Frontline), Written by Martin Smith; PBS'The Rise and Fall of Terrorgram' (Frontline), Written by Thomas Jennings …'The Rise of RFK Jr.' (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk …'Trump’s Power & the Rule of Law' (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk …DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS'Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act' (American Experience), Written by Chana Gazit; PBS'Clearing the Air: The War on Smog' (American Experience), Written by Peter Yost …'Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP' (American Experience), Written by Rob Rapley; PBS'Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s', Written by Jason Sussberg; PBS'Mr. Polaroid' (American Experience), Written by Gene Tempest; PBS

PROMOTIONAL WRITING NOMINEES

ON-AIR PROMOTION'Behind the Crown: King & Conqueror EPK', Written by Molly Neylan; CBS'CBS Comedy', Written by Dan Greenberger; CBSFinal voting for the awards will begin on Friday and continue for two weeks. The 2026 Writers Guild Awards ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, March 8, with simultaneous events at the JW Marriott in Los Angeles and the Edison Ballroom in New York City.