Listed below are the Academy Award winners in the category of Writing (non-winning nominations have been omitted from this list). Click on the name of a film or person in the list to display more information about that film or person. Or, click on a category in the column on the right to display the winners in that category.
(Adaptation)
(Original Story)
Ben Hecht,
Underworld, Paramount Famous Lasky.
(Title Writing)
Hans Kraly,
The Patriot, Paramount Famous Lasky.
The Big House, Cosmopolitan; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Frances Marion.
(Adaptation)
(Original Story)
(Adaptation)
(Original Story)
The Champ, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Frances Marion.
(Adaptation)
(Original Story)
(Adaptation)
(Original Story)
Manhattan Melodrama, Cosmopolitan; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Arthur Caesar.
(Original Story)
(Screenplay)
(Original Story)
(Screenplay)
(Original Story)
A Star Is Born, Selznick International Pictures; United Artists.
William A. Wellman and
Robert Carson.
(Screenplay)
(Original Story)
(Screenplay)
Pygmalion, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (British). Screenplay and dialogue by
George Bernard Shaw; adaptation by
W. P. Lipscomb,
Cecil Lewis and
Ian Dalrymple.
(Original Story)
(Screenplay)
Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Sidney Howard.
(Original Screenplay)
(Original Story)
(Screenplay)
(Original Screenplay)
(Original Story)
(Screenplay)
(Original Motion Picture Story)
The Invaders, Ortus; Columbia (British).
Emeric Pressburger.
(Original Screenplay)
(Screenplay)
(Original Motion Picture Story)
(Original Screenplay)
(Screenplay)
(Original Motion Picture Story)
(Original Screenplay)
Wilson, 20th Century-Fox.
Lamar Trotti.
(Screenplay)
(Original Motion Picture Story)
(Original Screenplay)
(Screenplay)
(Original Motion Picture Story)
Vacation from Marriage, London Films; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (British).
Clemence Dane.
(Original Screenplay)
The Seventh Veil, J. Arthur Rank-Sydney Box-Ortus; Universal (British).
Muriel Box and
Sydney Box.
(Screenplay)
(Motion Picture Story)
(Original Screenplay)
(Screenplay)
(Motion Picture Story)
The Search, Praesens Films; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Swiss).
Richard Schweizer and
David Wechsler.
(Screenplay)
(Motion Picture Story)
(Screenplay)
(Story and Screenplay)
(Motion Picture Story)
(Screenplay)
(Story and Screenplay)
(Motion Picture Story)
Seven Days to Noon, Boulting Brothers; Mayer-Kingsley-Distinguished Films (British).
Paul Dehn and
James Bernard.
(Screenplay)
(Story and Screenplay)
(Motion Picture Story)
(Screenplay)
(Story and Screenplay)
The Lavender Hill Mob, J. Arthur Rank-Ealing; Universal-International (British).
T. E. B. Clarke.
(Motion Picture Story)
(Screenplay)
(Story and Screenplay)
(Motion Picture Story)
(Screenplay)
The Country Girl, Perlberg-Seaton Production; Paramount.
George Seaton.
(Story and Screenplay)
On the Waterfront, Horizon-American Corporation; Columbia.
Budd Schulberg.
(Motion Picture Story)
(Screenplay)
Marty, Hecht and Lancaster’s Steven Productions; United Artists.
Paddy Chayefsky.
(Story and Screenplay)
(Motion Picture Story)
The Brave One, King Brothers; RKO Radio.
Dalton Trumbo.
(Screenplay—Adapted)
(Screenplay—Original)
The Red Balloon, Films Montsouris; Lopert Films. (France)
Albert Lamorisse.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
The Bridge on the River Kwai, A Horizon Pictures Production; Columbia. (United Kingdom)
Pierre Boulle,
Michael Wilson and
Carl Foreman.
(Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen)
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
Gigi, Arthur Freed Productions, Inc.; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Alan Jay Lerner.
(Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen)
The Defiant Ones, Stanley Kramer Productions; United Artists.
Nedrick Young and
Harold Jacob Smith.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
Room at the Top, Romulus Films, Ltd. Production; Continental Distributing, Inc. (United Kingdom)
Neil Paterson.
(Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen)
Pillow Talk, Arwin Productions; Universal-International. Story by
Russell Rouse and
Clarence Greene; screenplay by
Stanley Shapiro and
Maurice Richlin.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
Elmer Gantry, Burt Lancaster-Richard Brooks Production; United Artists.
Richard Brooks.
(Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen)
The Apartment, The Mirisch Company, Inc.; United Artists.
Billy Wilder and
I. A. L. Diamond.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
Judgment at Nuremberg, Stanley Kramer Productions; United Artists.
Abby Mann.
(Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen)
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
To Kill a Mockingbird, Universal-International-Pakula-Mulligan-Brentwood Production; Universal-International.
Horton Foote.
(Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen)
Divorce—Italian Style, Lux-Vides-Galatea Film Production; Embassy Pictures Corporation. (Italy)
Ennio de Concini,
Alfredo Giannetti and
Pietro Germi.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
Tom Jones, Woodfall Production; United Artists-Lopert Pictures. (United Kingdom)
John Osborne.
(Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen)
How the West Was Won, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer & Cinerama; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
James R. Webb.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
Becket, Hal Wallis Productions; Paramount. (United Kingdom/U.S.)
Edward Anhalt.
(Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen)
Father Goose, Universal-Granox Production; Universal. Story by
S. H. Barnett; screenplay by
Peter Stone and
Frank Tarloff.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
Doctor Zhivago, Sostar S.A.-Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios, Ltd. Production; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Robert Bolt.
(Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen)
Darling, Anglo-Amalgamated, Ltd. Production; Embassy Pictures Corporation. (United Kingdom)
Frederic Raphael.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
A Man for All Seasons, Highland Films, Ltd. Production; Columbia. (United Kingdom)
Robert Bolt.
(Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen)
A Man and a Woman, Les Films 13 Production; Allied Artists. (France) Story by
Claude Lelouch; screenplay by
Claude Lelouch and
Pierre Uytterhoeven.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
In the Heat of the Night, Mirisch Corporation Production; United Artists.
Stirling Silliphant.
(Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen)
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
The Lion in Winter, Haworth Productions, Ltd.; Avco Embassy. (United Kingdom)
James Goldman.
(Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen)
The Producers, Sidney Glazier Production; Avco Embassy.
Mel Brooks.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
Midnight Cowboy, Jerome Hellman-John Schlesinger Production; United Artists.
Waldo Salt.
(Story and Screenplay—based on material not previously published or produced)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, George Roy Hill-Paul Monash Production; 20th Century-Fox.
William Goldman.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
M*A*S*H, Aspen Productions; 20th Century-Fox.
Ring Lardner, Jr.
(Story and Screenplay—based on factual material or material not previously published or produced)
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
The French Connection, Philip D’Antoni Production in association with Schine-Moore Productions; 20th Century-Fox.
Ernest Tidyman.
(Story and Screenplay—based on factual material or material not previously published or produced)
The Hospital, Howard Gottfried-Paddy Chayefsky Production in association with Arthur Hiller; United Artists.
Paddy Chayefsky.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
The Godfather, Albert S. Ruddy Production; Paramount.
Mario Puzzo and
Francis Ford Coppola.
(Story and Screenplay—based on factual material or material not previously published or produced)
The Candidate, Redford-Ritchie Production; Warner Bros.
Jeremy Larner.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
The Exorcist, Hoya Productions; Warner Bros.
William Peter Blatty.
(Story and Screenplay—based on factual material or material not previously published or produced)
The Sting, Universal-Bill/Phillips-George Roy Hill Film Production; Zanuck/Brown Presentation; Universal.
David S. Ward.
(Original Screenplay)
Chinatown, Robert Evans Production; Paramount.
Robert Towne.
(Screenplay Adapted from Other Material)
(Original Screenplay)
(Screenplay Adapted from Other Material)
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
All the President’s Men, Wildwood Enterprises Inc. Production; Warner Bros.
William Goldman.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen—based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced)
Network, Howard Gottfried-Paddy Chayefsky Production; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists.
Paddy Chayefsky.
(Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
Julia, 20th Century-Fox Production; 20th Century-Fox.
Alvin Sargent.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen—based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced)
Annie Hall, Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe Production; United Artists.
Woody Allen and
Marshall Brickman.
(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
Midnight Express, Casablanca Filmworks Production; Columbia. (United Kingdom)
Oliver Stone.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Coming Home, Jerome Hellman Enterprises Production; United Artists. Story by
Nancy Dowd; screenplay by
Waldo Salt and
Robert C. Jones.
(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
Kramer vs. Kramer, Stanley Jaffe Productions; Columbia.
Robert Benton.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Breaking Away, 20th Century-Fox Production; 20th Century-Fox.
Steve Tesich.
(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
Ordinary People, Wildwood Enterprises Inc. Production; Paramount.
Alvin Sargent.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Melvin and Howard, Linson/Phillips/Demme-Universal Pictures Production; Universal.
Bo Goldman.
(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
On Golden Pond, ITC Films/IPC Films Production; Universal.
Ernest Thompson.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Chariots of Fire, Enigma Productions Limited; The Ladd Company/Warner Bros. (United Kingdom)
Colin Welland.
(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
Missing, Universal Pictures/Polygram Pictures Presentation of an Edward Lewis Production; Universal.
Costa-Gavras and
Donald Stewart.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Gandhi, Indo-British Film Production; Columbia. (United Kingdom)
John Briley.
(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
Terms of Endearment, James L. Brooks Production; Paramount.
James L. Brooks.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Tender Mercies, EMI Presentation of an Antron Media Production; Universal/A.F.D.
Horton Foote.
(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
Amadeus, Saul Zaentz Company Production; Orion.
Peter Shaffer.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Places in the Heart, Tri-Star Pictures Production; Tri-Star.
Robert Benton.
(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
Out of Africa, Universal Pictures Limited Production; Universal.
Kurt Luedtke.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Witness, Edward S. Feldman Production; Paramount. Screenplay by
Earl W. Wallace and
William Kelley; story by
William Kelley,
Pamela Wallace and
Earl W. Wallace.
(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
A Room with a View, Merchant Ivory Production for Goldcrest and Cinecom; Cinecom Pictures. (United Kingdom)
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Hannah and Her Sisters, Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe Production; Orion.
Woody Allen.
(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
The Last Emperor, Hemdale Film Production; Columbia. (United Kingdom)
Mark Peploe and
Bernardo Bertolucci.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Moonstruck, Patrick Palmer & Norman Jewison Production; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
John Patrick Shanley.
(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
Dangerous Liaisons, Warner Bros. Production; Warner Bros.
Christopher Hampton.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Rain Man, Guber-Peters Company Production; United Artists. Screenplay by
Ronald Bass and
Barry Morrow; story by
Barry Morrow.
(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
Driving Miss Daisy, Zanuck Company Production; Warner Bros.
Alfred Uhry.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Dead Poets Society, Touchstone Pictures Production in association with Silver Screen Partners IV; Buena Vista.
Tom Schulman.
(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Ghost, Howard W. Koch Production; Paramount.
Bruce Joel Rubin.
(Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published)
The Silence of the Lambs, Strong Heart/Demme Production; Orion.
Ted Tally.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Thelma & Louise, Pathe Entertainment Production; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Callie Khouri.
(Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published)
Howards End, Merchant Ivory Productions; Sony Pictures Classics. (United Kingdom/U.S.)
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
The Crying Game, Palace Pictures Production; Miramax Films. (United Kingdom)
Neil Jordan.
(Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published)
Schindler’s List, Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment Production; Universal.
Steven Zaillian.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
The Piano, Jan Chapman & CIBY 2000 Production; Miramax Films. (Australia/France)
Jane Campion.
(Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published)
Forrest Gump, Steve Tisch/Wendy Finerman Production; Paramount.
Eric Roth.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Pulp Fiction, A Band Apart/Jersey Films Production; Miramax Films. Screenplay by
Quentin Tarantino; stories by
Quentin Tarantino and
Roger Avary.
(Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published)
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
The Usual Suspects, Blue Parrot Production; Gramercy Pictures.
Christopher McQuarrie.
(Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published)
Sling Blade, Shooting Gallery Production; Miramax Films.
Billy Bob Thornton.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Fargo, Working Title Production; Gramercy Pictures.
Ethan Coen and
Joel Coen.
(Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published)
L. A. Confidential, Arnon Milchan/David L. Wolper Production; Warner Bros.
Brian Helgeland and
Curtis Hanson.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Good Will Hunting, Be Gentlemen Production; Miramax Films.
Ben Affleck and
Matt Damon.
(Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published)
Gods and Monsters, Regent Pictures; Lions Gate Films.
Bill Condon.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Shakespeare in Love, Miramax Films, Universal Pictures, Bedford Falls Company Production; Miramax Films. (United Kingdom/U.S.)
Marc Norman and
Tom Stoppard.
(Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published)
The Cider House Rules, FilmColony Production; Miramax Films.
John Irving.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
American Beauty, Jinks/Cohen Company Production; DreamWorks.
Alan Ball.
(Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published)
Traffic, Bedford Falls/Laura Bickford Production; USA Films.
Stephen Gaghan.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Almost Famous, Vinyl Films Production; DreamWorks and Columbia.
Cameron Crowe.
(Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published)
A Beautiful Mind, Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment Production; Universal and DreamWorks. Written by
Akiva Goldsman.
(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Gosford Park, Sandcastle 5 in association with Chicagofilms and Medusa Film Production; USA Films. (Italy/United Kingdom/U.S.A./Germany) Written by
Julian Fellowes.
(Adapted Screenplay)
The Pianist, R. P. Productions, Heritage Films, Studio Babelsberg, Runtime LTD. Production; Focus Features. (France/Poland/Germany/United Kingdom) Screenplay by
Ronald Harwood.
(Original Screenplay)
Talk to Her, El Deseo S.A. Production; Sony Pictures Classics. (Spain) Written by
Pedro Almodóvar.
(Adapted Screenplay)
(Original Screenplay)
Lost in Translation, American Zoetrope/Elemental Films Production; Focus Features. (U.S.A./Japan) Written by
Sofia Coppola.
(Adapted Screenplay)
Sideways, Sideways Productions, Inc. Production; Fox Searchlight/20th Century Fox. (U.S.A./Hungary) Screenplay by
Alexander Payne &
Jim Taylor.
(Original Screenplay)
(Adapted Screenplay)
Brokeback Mountain, River Road Entertainment Production; Focus Features. Screenplay by
Larry McMurtry &
Diana Ossana.
(Original Screenplay)
Crash, Bob Yari/DEJ/BlackFriar’s Bridge/Harris Company/ApolloProscreen GmbH & Co./Bull’s Eye Entertainment Production; Lions Gate Films. (U.S.A./Germany) Screenplay by
Paul Haggis &
Bobby Moresco; story by
Paul Haggis.
(Adapted Screenplay)
The Departed, Warner Bros. Pictures Production; Warner Bros. Screenplay by
William Monahan.
(Original Screenplay)
Little Miss Sunshine, Big Beach/Bona Fide Production; Fox Searchlight. Written by
Michael Arndt.
(Adapted Screenplay)
No Country for Old Men, Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production; Miramax and Paramount Vantage. Written for the screen by
Joel Coen &
Ethan Coen.
(Original Screenplay)
Juno, Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production; Fox Searchlight. Written by
Diablo Cody.
(Adapted Screenplay)
Slumdog Millionaire, Celador Films Production; Fox Searchlight. (United Kingdom) Screenplay by
Simon Beaufoy.
(Original Screenplay)
Milk, Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production; Focus Features. Written by
Dustin Lance Black.
(Adapted Screenplay)
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, Lee Daniels Entertainment/Smokewood Entertainment Production; Lionsgate. Screenplay by
Geoffrey Fletcher.
(Original Screenplay)
The Hurt Locker, Voltage Pictures Production; Summit Entertainment. Written by
Mark Boal.
(Adapted Screenplay)
The Social Network, Columbia Pictures Production; Sony Pictures Releasing. Screenplay by
Aaron Sorkin.
(Original Screenplay)
The King’s Speech, See-Saw Films and Bedlam Production; The Weinstein Company. (United Kingdom) Screenplay by
David Seidler.
(Adapted Screenplay)
The Descendants, Ad Hominem Enterprises Production; Fox Searchlight. Screenplay by
Alexander Payne and
Nat Faxon &
Jim Rash.
(Original Screenplay)
Midnight in Paris, Pontchartrain Production; Sony Pictures Classics. (U.S.A./Spain) Written by
Woody Allen.
(Adapted Screenplay)
Argo, Stage 16 Pictures Production; Warner Bros. Screenplay by
Chris Terrio.
(Original Screenplay)
Django Unchained, Weinstein Company and Columbia Pictures Production; The Weinstein Company. Written by
Quentin Tarantino.
(Adapted Screenplay)
12 Years a Slave, A River Road, Plan B, New Regency Production; Fox Searchlight. Screenplay by
John Ridley.
(Original Screenplay)
Her, An Annapurna Production; Warner Bros. Written by
Spike Jonze.
(Adapted Screenplay)
The Imitation Game, a Black Bear Pictures/Bristol Automotive Production; Weinstein Company. Written by
Graham Moore.
(Original Screenplay)
(Adapted Screenplay)
The Big Short, a Paramount Pictures Production; Paramount. Screenplay by
Charles Randolph and
Adam McKay.
(Original Screenplay)
Spotlight, an Anonymous Content/Participant Media/Rocklin/Faust/First Look Media Production; Open Road Films. Written by
Josh Singer &
Tom McCarthy.
(Adapted Screenplay)
Moonlight, An A24/Plan B Entertainment/Pastel Productions production; A24. Screenplay by
Barry Jenkins; story by
Tarell Alvin McCraney.
(Original Screenplay)
Manchester by the Sea, A K Period Media/B Story/CMP/Pearl Street Films production; Roadside Attractions/Amazon Studios. Written by
Kenneth Lonergan.
(Adapted Screenplay)
Call Me by Your Name, A Frenesy Film/La Cinéfacture/Memento Films International/RT Features Production; Sony Pictures Classics. Screenplay by
James Ivory.
(Original Screenplay)
Get Out, A Blumhouse Productions/QC Entertainment/Monkeypaw Production; Universal. Written by
Jordan Peele.
(Adapted Screenplay)
BlacKkKlansman, A QC Entertainment/Blumhouse Productions/Monkeypaw Productions/40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks Production; Focus Feature. Written by
Charlie Wachtel &
David Rabinowitz and
Kevin Willmott &
Spike Lee.
(Original Screenplay)
Green Book, A Charles B. Wessler/Innisfree Pictures/Participant Media/DreamWorks Pictures Production; Universal. Written by
Nick Vallelonga,
Brian Currie,
Peter Farrelly.
(Adapted Screenplay)
Jojo Rabbit, A Defender Films/Piki Films Production; Fox Searchlight. Screenplay by
Taika Waititi.
(Original Screenplay)
Parasite, A Barunson E&A Production; Neon. (South Korea) Screenplay by
Bong Joon Ho and
Han Jin Won; story by
Bong Joon Ho.
(Adapted Screenplay)
The Father, A Trademark Films/F Comme Film/Ciné-@ Production; Sony Pictures Classics. Screenplay by
Christopher Hampton and
Florian Zeller.
(Original Screenplay)
Promising Young Woman, A LuckyChap Entertainment/FilmNation Entertainment Production; Focus Features. Written by
Emerald Fennell.
(Adapted Screenplay)
CODA, A Vendôme Pictures/Pathé in assoc. with Apple Original Films Production; Apple Original Films. Screenplay by
Siân Heder.
(Original Screenplay)
Belfast, A TKBC Production; Focus Features. Written by
Kenneth Branagh.
(Adapted Screenplay)
Women Talking, Plan B Entertainment / hear/say Prod.; Orion Pictures/United Artists Releasing. Screenplay by
Sarah Polley.
(Original Screenplay)
(Adapted Screenplay)
American Fiction, T-Street/Almost Infinite/3 Arts Entertainment Production; Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios. Written for the screen by
Cord Jefferson.
(Original Screenplay)
Anatomy of a Fall, Les Films Pelléas/Les Films de Pierre Production; Neon. Screenplay by
Justine Triet and
Arthur Harari.
(Adapted Screenplay)
(Original Screenplay)