Quendrith Johnson

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by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent

A few unusual things happened last night at the WGA Awards held simultaneous in LA and NY.

Namely, WGA West held a first-ever competition Twitter competition for all comers to finish the sentence "The secret to great writing is..." with the hashtag #mightypen. Talk about a free-for-all! The finalist was chosen by voters during the show and streamed live via Los Angeles Times. Second, the screenplays for Her (Joaquin Phoenix) by Spike Jonze won for Original Screenplay, and Captain Phillips won for Adapted Screenplay. And third, Netflix, that upstart streaming video service, won two noms for Orange is the New Black and House of Cards; House of Cards actually won - studios beware!

What's also especially odd about this year is that neither of these two top WGA winners is favored to win the Oscars. So mostly people were wondering who won the Twitter competition... And they weren't disappointed. 

"@AnotherEitan congrats! you've won the #mightypen competition "The secret to great writing is... don't ever submit your first raft."(Check Twitter.com - #mightypen for all entries.) "The WGA #mightypen is the second commendation I've won in my life. First was a National Merit. That was a long time ago," tweeted winner @AnotherEitan.

Here is a complete win list in all categories for the 2014 WGA Awards hosted by Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond).

Los Angeles and New York – The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) tonight announced the winners of the 2014 Writers Guild Awards for outstanding achievement in writing for screen, television, radio, news, promotional, videogame, and new media writing at simultaneous ceremonies at the JW Marriott L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles and the Edison Ballroom in New York City.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Her, Written by Spike Jonze; Warner Bros.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Captain Phillips, Screenplay by Billy Ray; Based on the book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty; Columbia Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Stories We Tell, Written by Sarah Polley; Roadside Attractions

TELEVISION AND NEW MEDIA WINNERS

DRAMA SERIES

Breaking Bad, Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett; AMC

COMEDY SERIES

Veep, Written by Simon Blackwell, Roger Drew, Sean Gray, Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin, Georgia Pritchett, David Quantick, Tony Roche, Will Smith; HBO

NEW SERIES

House of Cards, Written by Kate Barnow, Rick Cleveland, Sam Forman, Gina Gionfriddo, Keith Huff, Sarah Treem, Beau Willimon; Netflix

EPISODIC DRAMA

“Confessions” (Breaking Bad), Written by Gennifer Hutchison; AMC

EPISODIC COMEDY

“Hogcock!” (30 Rock), Written by Jack Burditt & Robert Carlock; NBC

LONG FORM – ADAPTED

Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight, Written by Shawn Slovo, Based on the book by Howard Bingham and Max Wallace; HBO

SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA – ORIGINAL

“Episode 4: The Collected Sylvia” (Sylvia Plath: Girl Detective), Written by Mike Simses; sylviaplathgirldetective.com

ANIMATION

“A Test Before Trying” (The Simpsons), Written by Joel H. Cohen; Fox

COMEDY / VARIETY (INCLUDING TALK) – SERIES

The Colbert Report, Writers: Stephen Colbert, Tom Purcell, Michael Brumm, Nate Charny, Rich Dahm, Paul Dinello, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Gabe Gronli, Dan Guterman, Barry Julien, Jay Katsir, Frank Lesser, Opus Moreschi, Bobby Mort, Meredith Scardino, Max Werner; Comedy Central

COMEDY / VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS

Blake Shelton’s Not So Family Christmas, Head Writers: Jay Martel, Ian Roberts Writers: Alex Rubens, Charlie Sanders; NBC

QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

Jeopardy!, Written by John Duarte, Harry Friedman, Mark Gaberman, Debbie Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve D. Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC

DAYTIME DRAMA

Days of Our Lives, Written by Lorraine Broderick, David Cherrill, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Rick Draughon, Christopher Dunn, Janet Iacobuzio, David A. Levinson, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Melissa Salmons, Christopher J. Whitesell; NBC

CHILDREN'S – EPISODIC & SPECIALS

“influANTces” (A.N.T. Farm), Written by Vincent Brown; Disney Channel

DOCUMENTARY – CURRENT EVENTS

“Egypt in Crisis” (Frontline), Written by Marcela Gaviria & Martin Smith; PBS

DOCUMENTARY – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS

“The Choice 2012” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk; PBS

TIED WITH:

“Silicon Valley” (American Experience), Telescript by Randall MacLowry and Michelle Ferrari; Story by Randall MacLowry; PBS

NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

“Tragedy at Newtown” Special Edition (ABC World News with Diane Sawyer), Written by Lisa Ferri and Matt Negrin; ABC

NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

“Lethal Medicine” (60 Minutes), Written by Michael Rey, Oriana Zill de Granados, Michael Radutzky; CBS

RADIO WINNERS

DOCUMENTARY

“2012 Year in Review,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS Radio News

NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

“Afternoon Drive,” Written by Bill Spadaro; CBS Radio/1010 WINS

NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

“Remembering C. Everett Koop,” Written by Scott Saloway; CBS Radio News

PROMOTIONAL WRITING AND GRAPHIC ANIMATION WINNERS

ON-AIR PROMOTION (TELEVISION, NEW MEDIA OR RADIO)

The Crazy Ones, “Building a Better Comedy,” Written by Erial Tompkins; CBS

TELEVISION GRAPHIC ART AND ANIMATION

CBS News Animations: “Brain Injury,” “Pills,” “Bionic Leg,” “Midland Parade,” “Concordia Salvage;” Animation by David Rosen; CBS News

VIDEOGAME WINNER

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN VIDEOGAME WRITING

The Last of Us, Written by Neil Druckmann; Sony Computer Entertainment

*Editor’s Note: There were no nominees in Long Form – Original, Short Form New Media – Adapted, or Children’s – Long Form or Special awards categories this year.

The Writers Guild Awards honor outstanding writing in film, television, new media, videogames, news, radio, promotional, and graphic animation categories. The awards were presented jointly in competitive categories during simultaneous ceremonies on Saturday, February 1, 2014, in Los Angeles at the JW Marriott L.A. LIVE and in New York City at the Edison Ballroom.

Three-time Emmy-winning Everybody Loves Raymond actor-comic Brad Garrett hosted the West Coast WGA ceremony, which was executive produced by Cort Casady. Presenters who appeared at the WGAW’s L.A. awards ceremony included Oscar nominee Bruce Dern (Nebraska), two-time Emmy and Golden Globe-winning The Good Wife star Julianna Margulies, Oscar-nominated writer-actress Julie Delpy (Before Midnight), three-time TV Guide Award and People’s Choice Award-winning Castle co-star Stana Katic, Oscar-winner and Emmy-nominated Justified co-star Walton Goggins, SAG Award-nominated actor Dermot Mulroney (August: Osage County), WGA-nominated Parks and Recreation co-star Nick Offerman, True Blood co-star Joe Manganiello, Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actress Amber Tamblyn (Two and a Half Men), three-time SAG Award-nominated Breaking Bad actress Betsy Brandt, Rizzoli & Isles co-star Sasha Alexander, WGA-winning writer and Emmy-nominator actor B.J. Novak (The Office), TV Guide Award-winning actor Jeff Perry (Scandal), and six Daytime Emmy Award-winning Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek.

The Writers Guild of America, West presented several special honors during its ceremony: Academy Award-winning comedy director-writer Mel Brooks (The Producers) presented the WGAW’s Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement to Oscar-nominated screenwriter-director Paul Mazursky (An Unmarried Woman) for lifetime achievement, two-time Golden Globe and Daytime Emmy-winning Happy Days star Henry Winkler presented the Guild’s Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing to Happy Days creator Garry Marshall, Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer Tilly (Bullets Over Broadway) presented the Guild’s Valentine Davies Award to The Simpsons co-developer/ and philanthropist Sam Simon for his community service and humanitarian efforts, WGA-winning screenwriter Bob Eisele (The Great Debaters) presented the WGAW’s Morgan Cox Award posthumously to late screenwriter Thomas C. Cook (The China Syndrome) for Guild service, and WGAW Vice President Howard A. Rodman presented the WGAW’s Paul Selvin Award, for written work which embodies constitutional rights and civil liberties, to documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney for his screenplay We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks.

Attendees at the WGAW’s awards ceremony included Oscar nominated-actress June Squibb (Nebraska), director-actress Penny Marshall, actor Drew Carey, and L.A. City Councilman Paul Koretz.

Renowned television star and Emmy Award nominee Colin Quinn hosted the Writers Guild Awards New York ceremony, which was executive produced by John Marshall. Presenters who appeared at the WGAE’s New York awards ceremony included Fred Armisen (Portlandia), Robert Carlock (30 Rock), Raúl Esparza (Law & Order: SVU), Nelson George (CB4), Terry George (Hotel Rwanda), Kate Mulgrew (Orange Is The New Black), Steve O’Donnell (Late Show with David Letterman), Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife), Matthew Rhys (The Americans), Keri Russell (The Americans), Danny Strong (Lee Daniels’ The Butler) and Beau Willimon (House of Cards). Barbara Rosenblat (Orange is the New Black) served as the evening’s announcer.

The Writers Guild of America, East presented several special honors during its ceremony: James Schamus was presented with the Evelyn F. Burkey Award for bringing honor and dignity to writers. His award was presented to him by Dee Rees, the screenwriter and director of Pariah. Schamus co-founded Focus Films, produced the Oscar®-nominated Brokeback Mountain, and wrote award-winning screenplays including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Ice Storm.

Wendell Pierce, who starred as Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire and trombonist Antoine Batiste in Treme, presented The Hunter Award for career achievement to David Simon. A MacArthur Genius Grant Fellow, Simon created the acclaimed television series Treme and The Wire. He also wrote for Homicide: Life on the Streets, which was based on one of his books, and the miniseries Generation Kill and The Corner.

Writers Guild council member Philip V. Pilato was presented with The Jablow Award for his service to the guild by last year’s recipient, Bob Schneider, Secretary-Treasurer of Writers Guild of America, East.

The John Merriman Memorial Award was presented to Rachel Baye of American University by Michael Winship, President of Writers Guild of America, East. The Writers Guild Initiative’s 6th annual Michael Collyer Memorial Fellowship in Screenwriting was presented to Hennah Sekandary of New York University by Lowell Peterson, Executive Director of Writers Guild of America, East.

Attendees at the WGAE’s awards ceremony included Tina Fey (30 Rock), Ethan Hawke (Before Midnight), Terence Winter (The Wolf of Wall Street), Richard Linklater (Before Midnight), Michael Barker (Co-founder, Sony Picture Classics), Emily Mortimer (Newsroom), Alessandro Nivola (American Hustle), Jeremy Scahill and David Riker (Dirty Wars), A.M. Homes (The L Word). Mike Schur (Parks & Recreation), Lizz Winstead (The Daily Show), Franklin Leonard (The Black List), Gina Gionfriddo (House of Cards) and Joe Weisberg (The Americans), among many other illustrious guests.

Production credits for the WGAW’s West Coast show included: Executive Producer Cort Casady, Director Joe DeMaio, Talent Producer Carole Propp, Head Writer Dave Boone, Writers Beth Armogida and Cort Casady, Coordinating Producer Michelle Robinson, Line Producer Aaron Cooke, and Production Designer John Calkins.

Production credits for the WGAE’s East Coast show included: Executive Producer and Head Writer John Marshall, Producer and writer Bonnie Datt, Writers Bruce Cherry, Ann B. Cohen, David Steven Cohen, Henriette Mantel, Frank Santopadre, and Craig Shemin. Line Producer LBI Audio, Video & Scenic Solutions.

For more information about the 2014 Writers Guild Awards, please visit www.wga.org or www.wgaeast.org.

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