Sean Baker's Anora wins top gong at Writers Guild of America Awards

Anora, written and directed by Sean Baker, has scooped the prize for Best Original Screenplay at the Writers Guild of America Awards.

The film, about a young sex worker from Brooklyn who meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch, is nominated for six Academy Awards.

The Adapted Screenplay award went to Nickel Boys, while in TV, Shogun and Hacks were the winners on the night.

The 77th Writers Guild of America Awards were held in simultaneous ceremonies in New York and Los Angeles. At the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, the show was hosted by writer, actor and standup comedian Joel Kim Booster.

In New York City, Roy Wood Jr played compere, informing the crowd that the screenplay awards were being presented first, as those nominees needed to get on a plane to London amid predicted snowstorms for the BAFTAs the following day.

The awards recognise the best writing in radio, television and film.

"Writers are the one group of workers in this industry whose job begins with a blank page," says WGAW President Meredith Stiehm. "Without us, there is no script for directors to shoot, no lines for actors to say, and no content for studios to distribute."

Here are the highlight winners for 2025.

Original Screenplay: Anora, Written by Sean Baker

Adapted Screenplay: Nickel Boys, Screenplay by Ramell Ross & Joslyn Barnes

Documentary Screenplay: Jim Henson: Idea Man, written by Mark Monroe

Drama Series: Shogun

Comedy Series: Hacks

New Series: Shogun

Limited Series: The Penguin

TV & Streaming Motion Pictures: The Great Lillian Hall

Animation: Saving Favorite Drive-In (Bob's Burgers)

Episodic Drama: Anjin (Shogun)

Episodic Comedy: Bulletproof (Hacks)

Comedy/Variety Series - Talk Or Sketch: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Comedy/Variety Specials: Nikki Glaser: Someday You'll Die

Daytime Drama: The Young And The Restless