The WGC Screenwriting Awards
The 22nd annual WGC Screenwriting Awards, hosted by Gavin Crawford and written by Kyle Tingley, took place on April 30, 2018, at Koerner Hall in Toronto. Congratulations to all of the finalists and, of course, to the winners! (Winners are noted in bold, below.)
Don't miss the 2019 WGC Screenwriting Awards, coming up on Monday April 29, 2019, also at Koerner Hall.
2018 Winners and Nominees
CHILDREN’S
The Bagel and Becky Show, Season 1 “The 12 Quadrillion Days of Christmas”
Written by Evan Thaler Hickey
Mysticons, Season 1 “Heart of Gold”
Written by Elize Morgan
Mysticons, Season 1 “Sisters in Arms”
Written by Sean Jara
DOCUMENTARY
The Hundred-Year-Old Whale
Written by Mark Leiren-Young
The Road Forward
Written by Marie Clements
The Taming of the Queue
Written by Josh Freed
FEATURE FILM
Allure
Written by Carlos & Jason Sanchez
Entanglement
Written by Jason Filiatrault
Indian Horse
Written by Dennis Foon
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Written by Susan Coyne
MOW & MINISERIES
Alias Grace “Part 5”
Written by Sarah Polley
Anne of Green Gables: Fire and Dew
Written by Susan Coyne
Bruno & Boots: This Can’t Be Happening at Macdonald Hall!
Written by Adam Barken & Mike McPhaden
Bruno & Boots: The Wizzle War
Written by Mike McPhaden
BEST SCRIPT FROM SEASON ONE
Anne, Season 1 “I Am No Bird, and No Net Ensnares Me”
Written by Moira Walley-Beckett
Bellevue, Season 1 “You Don’t Understand Me At All”
Written by Jane Maggs
Ghost Wars, Season 1 “Whatever Happened to Maggie Rennie”
Written by Rachel Langer
SHORTS & WEBSERIES
The Drop In
Written by Naledi Jackson
Hotel Transylvania: “Who’s the Boss?”
Written by Mike D’Ascenzo
Spiral, Episode 101 “The Girl in the Dream”
Written by Karen McClellan
TV COMEDY
Kim’s Convenience, Season 2 “Business Award”
Written by Matt Kippen
Kim’s Convenience, Season 2 “Resting Place”
Written by Anita Kapila
Letterkenny, Season 2 “Relationships”
Written by Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney
Still Standing, Season 3 “Fort McMurray”
Written by Jonny Harris, Fraser Young, Graham Chittenden and Steve Dylan
TV DRAMA
Cardinal, Season 1 “John Cardinal”
Written by Aubrey Nealon
Mary Kills People, Season 1 “Bloody Mary”
Written by Tara Armstrong
Pure, Season 1 “Ordination”
Written by Michael Amo
X Company, Season 3 “Promises”
Written by Nicolas Billon
TWEENS & TEENS
Degrassi: Next Class, Season 4 “#FactsOnly”
Written by Courtney Jane Walker
Degrassi: Next Class, Season 4 “#RollUpToTheClubLike”
Written by Matt Huether
Raising Expectations, Season 1 “Food Fight at the Algonquin”
Written by Barbara Haynes
The Stanley Dynamic, Season 2 “The Stanley Cheer”
Written by Matt Kippen
Special Awards
WGC SHOWRUNNER AWARD
Showrunners are the writers/producers who hold the creative vision for a television series. He or she controls all creative decisions and oversees the series from development, through prep and production, to the completion of post. The showrunner truly is the creative force driving the series, and the WGC Showrunner Award brings Canada’s best showrunners centre stage to be celebrated by their peers. The 2018 recipient is Michael MacLennan.
DENIS MCGRATH AWARD FOR SERVICE TO THE WGC
In 2017, the Writers Block Award was renamed the "Denis McGrath Award for Service to the WGC" to honour the tremendous contribution Denis McGrath made to the Guild. The award is for writers who have demonstrated a record of exceptional service to the Writers Guild of Canada and whose efforts have strengthened the Canadian screenwriting community as a whole. The recipient of award is determined by the Writers Guild of Canada council. The 2018 recipient is Mark Ellis.
ALEX BARRIS MENTORSHIP AWARD
Alex Barris was a writer, broadcaster, and journalist; a pioneer of Canadian television, and proud member of the WGC. He was also a wonderful mentor, giving his time and talent to new writers who were just getting started in the industry. The Alex Barris Mentorship Award was created after his death in 2004, to keep his name and spirit alive and to perpetuate the tradition of mentorship. The award, granted biennially, acknowledges a mentor who has significantly helped a writer (or writers) get a start in the business. The 2018 recipient is Sherry White.
SONDRA KELLY AWARD
The Sondra Kelly Award provides $5,000 to women screenwriters in mid-career for research/development on a self-initiated project. Sondra Kelly was a longtime member of the Writers Guild of Canada. In 2007, she received the WGC Writers Block Award for her record of exceptional service to the WGC and for her work strengthening the Canadian screenwriting community. In addition to serving on the WGC council from January 1997 to December 2003, Sondra occupied the first WGC-designated seat on the Actra Fraternal Benefits Society (AFBS) board (1998-2003). Hers was the first writer’s voice on a board made up of actors, producers, and broadcasters at a time when a writer’s voice was much needed. The 2018 recipient is Sarah Dodd.