February 15, 2025
Rules for WGA Theatrical Screenplay Awards
ELIGIBILITY RULES
Screenplays must have been written under a WGA collective bargaining agreement or under a bona fide collective bargaining agreement of the Writers Guild of Canada, Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, Writers Guild of Ireland, Writers’ Guild of South Africa, New Zealand Writers Guild, ALMA Sindicato des Guionistas, Screenwriters Association (India), Screenwriters Guild of Korea (SGK), La Guilde Francaise des Scénaristes (France), Scriptwriters Guild of Israel, the Société des Auteurs de Radio, Télévision et Cinéma (Québec) or Verband Deutscher Drehbuchautoren (VDD/Germany) (collectively, “affiliate guilds”). Please note that an affiliate guild may impose additional requirements for a writer to be considered covered by its collective bargaining agreement.
Theatrical screenplays are classified as Original or Adapted. The WGA will make the final determination of the proper classification for a screenplay.
For screenplays written under a WGA collective bargaining agreement, a Notice of Tentative Writing Credits must be on file with the WGA and the credit determination must be final. Writers of source material are not eligible for awards consideration.
Financial core and fee payer non-members are not eligible to be nominated for or receive WGA Awards.
Films must have been exhibited theatrically in the Los Angeles area for at least one week during the eligibility period of January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024. Films that had simultaneous theatrical and streaming exhibitions are eligible for screenplay awards consideration. Films that had their initial exhibition on television (broadcast, pay or cable) or were released directly on DVD are not eligible for screenplay awards consideration.
SUBMISSION RULES
Theatrical screenplays written under a WGA collective bargaining agreement or under a bona fide collective bargaining agreement of an affiliate guild are not automatically deemed submitted for the award. A completed entry form must be submitted for WGA awards consideration.
The production company or any writer who received writing credit for the theatrical screenplay may submit the screenplay for WGA Awards consideration. Writer representatives (e.g. agents, managers or publicists) may also submit on a writer’s behalf.
Submissions for films written under the collective bargaining agreement of an affiliate guild must include a letter from the affiliate guild verifying awards eligibility.
A receipt will automatically be sent to the email address of the entrant upon successful completion of the submission.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE
The submission deadline is 5:00 p.m. (PST) on Friday, November 22, 2024. No late submissions will be accepted.