The WGA, BAFTA, and Dorian Galeca Awards Offer Hints for Next Month's Oscars
/The awards season marches on as the top films and television series of the past year were fêted by three more organizations this month.
Writers Guild Awards (WGAs)
On February 15, comedic actor, producer, and writer Joel Kim Booster hosted the 77th WGA Awards. The final tally of votes from thousands of members of the Writers Guild of America was revealed at the annual ceremony, which celebrates the writers of both films and television programs.
As we previously reported, many of this year's most celebrated screenplays were not eligible for consideration, as any screenplays written outside a WGA collective bargaining agreement (or that of an affiliate guild) are not eligible. Thus this year's honorees are less likely to reflect the eventual Oscar winners than previous years. Among the screenplays that were not eligible for the WGA Awards but have been nominated for an Oscar are "The Brutalist," "The Substance," "September 5," "Conclave," and ”Emilia Pérez."
That being said, "Anora" continues to position itself as the film to beat at the Oscars. Writer, director, and producer Sean Baker took home yet another prize, this time for his original screenplay about a Brooklyn stripper who impulsively marries the hard-partying son of a Russian oligarch.
Like many other awarding bodies, the WGA differentiates between original and adapted screenplays. RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes won in the latter category for "Nickel Boys," their adaptation of Colson Whitehead's book "The Nickel Boys." Ross also directed the film, which follows two African-American boys sent to an abusive reform school in Florida during the 1960s.
The historical drama is in the running for two Oscars in major categories — Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. In January, the National Society of Film Critics awarded "Nickel Boys" Best Picture as well as Best Cinematography. Ross garnered the second-most votes for Best Director, finishing a close second to Payal Kapadia, the director of "All We Imagine as Light," a non-English drama about two Malayali nurses living together in Mumbai.
The WGA also presented Ross and Barnes with the honorary Paul Selvin Award, which is given to the script that "best embodies the spirit of the constitutional and civil rights and liberties which are indispensable to the survival of free writers everywhere and to whose defense Paul Selvin committed his professional life." Selvin was the WGA's longtime general counsel.
In the television and streaming categories, the FX/Hulu historical drama "Shōgun" and the HBO/Max comedy "Hacks" continue to dominate the awards circuit. "Shōgun" won awards for Best Drama Series, Best New Series, and Best Episodic Drama for the episode "Anjin," written by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks. "Hacks" won prizes for Best Comedy Series and Best Episodic Comedy for the episode "Bulletproof," written by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky. HBO/Max's "The Penguin" has also had a successful run this awards season and took home yet another prize for Best Limited Series.
See the full list of WGA Awards winners
Actor Kyle MacLachlan presented the honorary Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement to the late writer and director David Lynch, with whom he collaborated on numerous projects including the classic surreal television series "Twin Peaks" and the films "Dune" (1984) and "Blue Velvet" (1986). The award is officially given to a member of the guild who, "in the opinion of the current Board of Directors, has advanced the literature of the motion picture through the years, and who has made outstanding contributions to the profession of the screenwriter."
Actress Rhea Seehorn presented the honorary Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement to Vince Gilligan, the creator of "Breaking Bad" and its spin-off "Better Call Saul." The award is officially given to a member of the guild who, "in the opinion of the current Board of Directors, has advanced the literature of television through the years, and who has made outstanding contributions to the profession of the television writer."
British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs)
On February 16 at the Royal Festival Hall in London, David Tennant hosted the 78th annual British Academy Film Awards, presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
BAFTA winners have a mixed success rate at the Oscars. Last year, every BAFTA winner in the eight major categories (film, director, four acting, and two screenplays) went on to win the Oscar. However, the year before, none of the BAFTA winners in those categories won at the Oscars.
Edward Berger's papal drama "Conclave" and Brady Corbet's historical epic "The Brutalist" each took home four awards and split the night's top two prizes, with "Conclave" winning Best Film and Corbet named Best Director.
"Conclave" also won for its editing, adapted screenplay, and in the category Outstanding British Film. "The Brutalist" earned additional awards for its cinematography, score, and leading actor Adrien Brody.
"Anora" also fared well, winning the BAFTA for leading actress Mikey Madison and winning in the category Best Casting. Jesse Eisenberg's road trip dramedy "A Real Pain," which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and starred in, won both of the awards for which it was nominated. Eisenberg won for his original screenplay, and his co-star Kieran Culkin won for his supporting role.
Four additional films also took home two awards apiece — "Wicked" for its costumes and production design; Emilia Pérez for supporting actress Zoe Saldaña and in the category Film Not in the English Language; "Dune: Part Two" for its sound and special visual effects; and "Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl" in the categories Best Animated Film and Best Children's & Family Film.
See the full list of BAFTA Awards winners
BAFTA also presented two individuals with honorary awards. David Jonsson of "Alien: Romulus" won the Rising Star Award, while Warwick Davis received the Fellowship Award, which is a lifetime achievement award. The prolific actor has spent more than four decades in the film industry, famously playing the title characters in "Willow" (1988) and the "Leprechaun" movies. He also appeared in several "Star Wars" films and "Harry Potter" films.
Dorian Film Awards
Every year, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics honors the year's top films, television shows, and theatrical productions with the Dorian Awards, which are named after the title character in Oscar Wilde's 1890 novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray." The organization includes hundreds of professional journalists who cover film, television, and theater for media outlets around the world.
The 16th annual Dorian Film Award winners were announced on February 13, and the top prize went to Coralie Fargeat's "The Substance." The dark satire won Film of the Year, Director of the Year for Fargeat, Genre Film of the Year (Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror), Campiest Flick, and Film Performance of the Year for its leading actress, Demi Moore. Additionally, Moore was honored with the esteemed Timeless Star Award "honoring an exemplary career marked by character, wisdom, and wit."
Unlike most awards shows that separate categories by gender, the Dorians instead nominate 10 performers of all genders for Film Performance of the Year and 10 for Supporting Film Performance of the Year. This year, both prizes went to women, as Ariana Grande won in the supporting category for her role as Glinda in the musical fantasy "Wicked." Her co-star Jonathan Bailey won the "We're Wilde About You!" Rising Star Award, and Cynthia Erivo was honored with the GALECA LGBTQIA+ Film Trailblazer Award "for creating art that inspires empathy, truth, and equity."
See the full list of Dorian Awards winners
The Dorians also include LGBTQ-specific categories, including LGBTQ Film of the Year, which went to "I Saw the TV Glow." The psychological horror film also won LGBTQ Screenplay of the Year for writer Jane Schoenbrun.
Luca Guadagnino's "Challengers" took home two awards — Screenplay of the Year for Justin Kuritzkes and Film Music of the Year for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The road trip documentary "Will & Harper" also won two awards, for Documentary of the Year and LGBTQ Documentary of the Year.
Colman Domingo earned the honorary "Wilde" Artist Award, which is presented each year "to a truly groundbreaking force in entertainment."
On Sunday, February 23, the 31st annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards are scheduled to be streamed live on Netflix. Kristen Bell will host for the second time, and two-time Oscar winner Jane Fonda will receive the SAG Life Achievement Award. A week later on Sunday, March 2, the 97th annual Academy Awards are scheduled to be held with Conan O'Brien hosting.
Congrats to all winners! We are so excited to see what happens next.
One of New York’s largest and most trusted full-service studio production companies, offering comprehensive services for film, television, live streaming, commercials, live performances, music videos, and more. With over 40 years of experience, we’ve become a cornerstone of New York’s thriving creative industry.
With more than 60 soundstages spanning across Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, Broadway Stages offers over 4 million square feet of state-of-the-art production space, including soundstages, support space, distinctive filming locations, parking, and in-house services for lighting, power, and grip rentals. We provide tailored solutions for productions of all sizes, delivering the resources and expertise needed to meet your creative and technical needs.
Learn about film and TV industry jobs, training, and more in the Broadway Stages’ Industry Resource Guide. Our guide provides information and links to put you in touch with industry-focused job posting sites; general recruiting sites; education and training programs; and state, city, and borough industry information.
