The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with the Oscars for 1957, the two categories were combined to honor only the screenplay.
| Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Presented by | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) |
| First awarded | 1940 |
| Most recent winner | Justine Triet and Arthur Harari Anatomy of a Fall (2023) |
| Website | oscars |
See also the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, a similar award for screenplays that are adaptations of pre-existing material.
Eligibility
editScreenplays are eligible if they are not based on "previously published material". The Writer's Branch of the academy determines if a screenplay is adapted or original, based on possible sources in question, interviews given about the film and the film's publicity materials, and sometimes places screenplays in a different category than the Writers Guild of America. For the 75th Academy Awards, Gangs of New York was nominated as an original screenplay despite being based on the book The Gangs of New York because the writers based the film on the book's historical research but largely invented the characters and plot.[1] For the 89th Academy Awards, Moonlight was campaigned as an original screenplay, being based on an unpublished play, but was ultimately placed in the adapted screenplay category, which it won.[2] Similarly, Whiplash was considered an adapted screenplay at the 87th Academy Awards despite being written as an original screenplay because a scene from the script was produced as a proof-of-concept short film. However, 2008's Frozen River, which similarly had a proof-of-concept short film screened at film festivals, was nominated as an original screenplay.[3]
Superlatives
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Woody Allen has the most nominations in this category with 16, and the most awards with 3 (for Annie Hall (1977), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), and Midnight in Paris (2011)). Paddy Chayefsky and Billy Wilder have also won three screenwriting Oscars: Chayefsky won two for Original Screenplay (The Hospital and Network) and one for Adapted Screenplay (Marty), while Wilder won one for Adapted Screenplay (The Lost Weekend, shared with Charles Brackett), and two for Original Screenplay (Sunset Boulevard, shared with Brackett and D. M. Marshman Jr., and The Apartment, shared with I. A. L. Diamond)
Woody Allen also holds the record as the oldest winner (76) for Midnight in Paris.[4] Ben Affleck is the youngest winner (25) for Good Will Hunting, co-written with Matt Damon (27).
Richard Schweizer was the first to win for a foreign-language film, Marie-Louise. Other winners for a non-English screenplay include Albert Lamorisse, Pietro Germi, Claude Lelouch, Pedro Almodóvar, Bong Joon-ho, Han Jin-won, Justine Triet and Arthur Harari. Lamorisse is additionally the only person to win or even be nominated for Best Original Screenplay for a short film (The Red Balloon, 1956).[5]
Frances Marion (The Big House) was the first woman to win for her original script, although she won Best Writing, which then included both original and adapted screenplays before a separate award for Best Original Screenplay was introduced. Muriel Box (The Seventh Veil) was the first woman to win in this category; she shared the award with her husband, Sydney Box. They are also the first of two married couples to win in this category; Earl W. Wallace and Pamela Wallace (Witness) are the others.
In 1996, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen became the only siblings to win in this category (for Fargo).[6] Francis Ford Coppola (Patton, 1970) [7] and Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, 2003) are the only father-daughter pair to win.[8] The Lucas Bros are the only African-American siblings to receive a nomination in this category (Judas and the Black Messiah, 2021).[9]
Preston Sturges was nominated for two different films in the same year (1944): Hail the Conquering Hero and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek. Oliver Stone achieved the same distinction in 1986, for Platoon and Salvador. Maurice Richlin and Stanley Shapiro were nominated in 1959 for both Operation Petticoat and Pillow Talk and won for the latter.
Jordan Peele became the first and only African-American to win in this category for 2017's Get Out.[10]
Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won became the first Asian writers to win either Screenplay award, for 2019's Parasite.[11][12] This was also the most recent of 10 occasions when Oscars in this category have been awarded to writers for both screenplay AND story on one film (sometimes they have been completely different, and sometimes the credited screenplay author also contributed to the story alongside at least one other credited scribe).
Winners and nominees
editWinners are listed first in the colored row and denoted by double dagger (‡), followed by the other nominees.
1940s
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1950s
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1960s
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1970s
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1980s
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1990s
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2000s
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2010s
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2020s
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Multiple wins and nominations
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Multiple winsedit
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Multiple nominationsedit
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Age superlatives
edit| Record | Writer | Film | Age (in years) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oldest winner | Woody Allen | Midnight in Paris | 76 | [95] |
| Oldest nominee | Blue Jasmine | 78 | ||
| Youngest winner | Ben Affleck | Good Will Hunting | 25 | [96] |
| Youngest nominee | John Singleton | Boyz n the Hood | 24 | [97] |
See also
edit- Academy Award for Best Story
- Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay
- BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay
- Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Screenplay
- List of Big Five Academy Award winners and nominees
- List of Academy Award–nominated films
- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay
Notes
edit- ^ Best Original Screenplay was consolidated in 1948 for a singular Best Screenplay award. The winner was The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, adapted from the novel of same name.
- ^ In 1958, Nedrick Young was blacklisted and writing under the pseudonym Nathan E. Douglas. The Academy's Board of Governors voted in 1993 to restore Young's nomination and award.
- ^ The eligibility period for the 93rd ceremony was extended through to February 28, 2021, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
References
edit- ^ Turner, Julia (2003-02-13). "Why Is Gangs of New YorkNominated for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar?". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
- ^ Davis, Clayton (2023-09-13). "'Barbie' Sets Oscar Campaign for Original Screenplay — Will the Academy Agree? (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- ^ Harris, Aisha (2015-01-06). "Is the Whiplash Screenplay Adapted, or Original? The WGA and the Academy Can't Agree". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
- ^ Janela, Mike (15 January 2014). "Will this year's Oscar nominations break any records?]". Guinness World Records.
- ^ Writing Winners: 1957 Oscars
- ^ "Sling Blade" and "Fargo" winning Writing Oscars-official YouTube channel
- ^ M*A*S*H and Patton Win Writing Awards: 1970 Oscars
- ^ Sofia Coppola winning Best Original Screenplay-Oscars on YouTube
- ^ Wilstein, Matt (2021-04-13). "These Twin Comedians Are Taking the Oscars by Storm". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
- ^ "Get Out" wins Best Original Screenplay-Oscars on YouTube
- ^ Oscars: Bong Joon Ho's 'Parasite' Wins South Korea's First Oscar|Hollywood Reporter
- ^ Joyce Eng (2020-02-07). "'Parasite's' Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won would be the first Asian writers to win an Oscar – GoldDerby". Goldderby.com. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
- ^ "The 13th Academy Awards (1941) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 14th Academy Awards (1942) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 15th Academy Awards (1943) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 16th Academy Awards (1944) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 17th Academy Awards (1945) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 18th Academy Awards (1946) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 19th Academy Awards (1947) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 20th Academy Awards (1948) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 21st Academy Awards (1949) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 22nd Academy Awards (1950) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 23rd Academy Awards (1951) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 24th Academy Awards (1952) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 25th Academy Awards (1953) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 26th Academy Awards (1954) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 27th Academy Awards (1955) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 28th Academy Awards (1956) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 29th Academy Awards (1957) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 30th Academy Awards (1958) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 31st Academy Awards (1959) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 32nd Academy Awards (1960) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 33rd Academy Awards (1961) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 34th Academy Awards (1962) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 35th Academy Awards (1963) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 36th Academy Awards (1964) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 37th Academy Awards (1965) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
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- ^ "The 39th Academy Awards (1967) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
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- ^ "The 41st Academy Awards (1969) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 42nd Academy Awards (1970) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 43rd Academy Awards (1971) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 44th Academy Awards (1972) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 45th Academy Awards (1973) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 46th Academy Awards (1974) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 47th Academy Awards (1975) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 48th Academy Awards (1976) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 49th Academy Awards (1977) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 50th Academy Awards (1978) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 51st Academy Awards (1979) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 52nd Academy Awards (1980) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 53rd Academy Awards (1981) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 54th Academy Awards (1982) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 55th Academy Awards (1983) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 56th Academy Awards (1984) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 57th Academy Awards (1985) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 58th Academy Awards (1986) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 59th Academy Awards (1987) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 60th Academy Awards (1988) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 61st Academy Awards (1989) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 62nd Academy Awards (1990) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 63rd Academy Awards (1991) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 64th Academy Awards (1992) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 65th Academy Awards (1993) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 66th Academy Awards (1994) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 67th Academy Awards (1995) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 68th Academy Awards (1996) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 69th Academy Awards (1997) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 70th Academy Awards (1998) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 71st Academy Awards (1999) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
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- ^ "The 75th Academy Awards (2003) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "The 76th Academy Awards (2004) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
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- ^ "The 78th Academy Awards (2006) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
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- ^ "The 80th Academy Awards (2008) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved August 27, 2013.
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- ^ "Oscar Nominations by the Numbers: Fun Facts and Shocking Stats". The Hollywood Reporter. 16 January 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ "'Good Will Hunting' Oscar flashback: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon wrote their own screenplay 20 years ago to boost careers". Goldderby. 30 December 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
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