With The Descendants and Midnight in Paris drawing WGA wins, awards season has entered the final stretch, with the Independent Spirit Awards this Saturday and the Oscars on Sunday.Ballots for the Academy Awards are due by 5 p.m. today.The Descendants and Midnight in Paris took adapted and original screenplay, respectively, at Sundays WGA Awards, which could predict category wins on Feb. 26. But The Artist, which wasnt eligible for the WGA award, is still the presumed Oscar frontrunner based on its DGA, PGA and SAG wins over the last few weeks.Although this year has proved that nothing is certain, the Sunday night spotlight was focused on Alexander Paynes Hawaii-set character drama and Woody Allens Parisian literary ntasy.Allens WGA trophy was his fifth; he previously won for Annie Hall, Broadway Danny Rose, Hannah and Her Sisters and Crimes and Misdemeanors. The WGA nom was Allens 20th.Payne, who won his third WGA award, took the adapted screenplay trophy along with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings. The writer-director has also won WGA trophies for Election and Sideways.The awards were announced in supposedly simultaneous ceremonies at the Hollywood Palladiumand BB Kings Blues Club in Manhattan. The New York announcements came a few minutes earlier, creating a small ripple at the Palladium as word began spreading — though both Midnight in Paris and The Descendants had been expected to win.As usual, Allen didnt attend either ceremony. Payne, Rash and Faxon accepted their trophies in Hollywood, with Payne crediting Hemmings for creating the world of a mily in Hawaii dealing with crisis. Thanks for letting us in your world, he added.Midnight in Paris topped screenplays for 50/50, Bridesmaids, Win Win and Young Adult while The Descendants bested scripts for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, Hugo and Moneyball.Midnight in Paris is up for the original screenplay Oscar along with Bridesmaids and three titles ineligible for WGA recognition since they were produced outside WGA jurisdiction — The Artist, Margin Call and A Separation. Oscars noms for adapted screenplay went to The Descendants, Hugo 美国空间, Moneyball, The Ides of March and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Tinker Tailor was also ineligible for the WGA award.Allens up for his fourth Oscar; he won for directing and writing Annie Hall and for the Hannah and Her Sisters screenplay. Payne won the adapted screenplay Oscar for Sideways.The WGA documentary film award went to Better This World for Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega. The duo said theyre developing the story of a pair of accused domestic terrorists as a narrative feature.ABCs Modern Family, AMCs Breaking Bad and Showtimes Homeland each took home a pair of TV awards. Modern Family repeated as comedy series winner and won the episodic comedy category for Steven Levitan and Jeffrey Richman for the Caught in the Act segment.Breaking Bad and Homeland tied for best drama segment, respectively winning for Vince Gilligans Boxcutter episode and for Henry Bromells The Good Soldier. Breaking Bad also took the drama series award while the new series nod went to Homeland.The TV animation award went to Joel H. Cohen for Homer the Father segment of Foxs The Simpsons, which won over three other Simpsons episodes and single segs of Futurama and Ben 10.Peter Gould took the longform award for HBOs Too Big to Fail, and David Seltzer drew the longform original kudo for HBOs Cinema Verite. I was in a terrible mood the entire time I was writing, Gould said in his acceptance.ABCs After the Academy Awards received the award for comedy/variety specials and Comedy Centrals The Colbtv scripts WGA names best original, adapted screenplay winnerert Report won comedy/variety series.ABCs General Hospital took the daytime serials trophy. Karen Harris noted in her acceptance that she was the only one of the 10 writers for the series in attendance because ABC had not purchased seats for their nominated writers.The derivative new-media award was won by AMCs The Walking Dead for Greg Nicotero and John Esposito. The original new-media award went to Heath Corson and Richie Keen for Cambios Aim High.Amy Hennig drew the vidgame nod for Stv scriptsonys Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception, and the childrens TV award went to Leo Chu and Eric S. Garcia for Nicks Supah Ninjas segment Hero of the Shadows.Zooey Deschanel and Joel McHale hosted the Hollywood ceremonies. Hi, welcome to nerd prom, she said in her opening.In previously announced kudos, Tate Taylor won the Paul Selvin award for The Help, presented by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. Lets strive for a place where people can tell any story they want, Taylor said in his acceptance.The Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television went to Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick. When youre 27 you cant imagine a career, Herskovitz said from the stage. When youre 57 you cant remember it.The Laurel Award for Screen went to Eric Roth, presented by David Fincher, who said of Roth, Hes a procrastinator like no other.Contactatdave.mcnary@variety.com

tv scripts WGA names best original, adapted screenplay winner,

The Descendants