53rd Writers Guild of America Awards

53rd WGA Awards
DateMarch 4, 2001
Organized byWriters Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West

The 53rd Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best writing in film, television and radio of 2000. Nominees for television and radio were announced on January 10, 2001, while nominees for film were announced on February 7, 2001.[1] Winners were announced on March 4, 2001, in joint ceremonies at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California, and at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The ceremonies were hosted by Geoffrey Rush, Greg Kinnear, Kelsey Grammer, and Stockard Channing.[2]

Winners and nominees

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Notes

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  • Nominees for television and radio were originally broadcast between September 1, 1999, and August 31, 2000.[3]
  • Winners are in bold (some categories resulted in a tie, allowing two winners for some awards).[4][5]

Film

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Best Original Screenplay

You Can Count on Me (Paramount Classics) – Kenneth Lonergan

Best Adapted Screenplay

Traffic (USA Films) – Stephen Gaghan; Based on the British series Traffik created by Simon Moore

Television

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Episodic Drama

"In Excelsis Deo" – The West Wing (NBC) – Aaron Sorkin and Rick Cleveland

Episodic Comedy

"Something Borrowed, Someone Blue" – Frasier (NBC) – Christopher Lloyd & Joe Keenan

Long Form – Original

Tie between the following two programs:
Freedom Song (TNT) – Phil Alden Robinson and Stanley Weiser
"Part 1" – Sally Hemings: An American Scandal (CBS) – Tina Andrews

Long Form – Adapted

Tie between the following two programs:
RKO 281 (HBO) – John Logan; Based in part on the documentary The Battle Over Citizen Kane from American Experience
Tuesdays With Morrie (ABC) – Tom Rickman; Based on the book by Mitch Albom

Comedy/Variety – Talk Series

Dennis Miller Live (HBO) – Writing supervised by Eddie Feldmann, written by Jose Arroyo, David Feldman, Jim Hanna, Leah Krinsky Atkins, Dennis Miller, Jacob Sager Weinstein, David Weiss

Comedy/Variety (Music, Awards, Tributes) – Specials

Saturday Night Live: The 25th Anniversary Special (NBC) – Writing supervised by Tina Fey, written by Anne Beatts, Tom Davis, Tina Fey, Steve Higgins, Lorne Michaels, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Paula Pell, Paul Shaffer, T. Sean Shannon, Michael Shoemaker, Robert Smigel

  • Evening at Pops Special Featuring the Cast of "Sesame Street" (PBS) – Christine Ferraro
Daytime Serials

All My Children (ABC) – Agnes Nixon, Jean Passanante, Craig Carlson, Frederick Johnson, N. Gail Lawrence, Victor Miller, Juliet Law Packer, Addie Walsh, Mimi Leahey, Bettina F. Bradbury, Caroline Franz, Charlotte Gibson, David Hiltbrand, Janet Iacobuzio, Royal Miller, John PiRoman, Rebecca Taylor

Children's Script

Tie between the following two programs:
The Color of Friendship (Disney Channel) – Paris Qualles
A Storm In Summer (Showtime) – Rod Serling

Documentary

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Documentary Script – Current Events

"John Paul II: The Millennial Pope" – Frontline (PBS) – Helen Whitney & Jane Barnes

Documentary Script – Other than Current Events

"George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire" – American Experience (PBS) – Steve Fayer and Daniel McCabe & Paul Stekler

  • "Apocalypse!" – Frontline (PBS) – William Cran & Ben Loeterman
  • "Born to Trouble: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" – Culture Shock (PBS) – Jill Janows & Leslie Lee
  • "Hitchcock, Selznick & the End of Hollywood" – American Masters (PBS) – Michael Epstein
  • "Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood" – (TCM) – Based in part on the book Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Powerful Women of Early Hollywood written by Bridget Terry & Cari Beauchamp

News

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TV News Script – Regularly Scheduled, Bulletin, or Breaking Report

Sunday Morning Headlines (CBS) – Gail Lee

TV News Script – Analysis, Feature, or Commentary

Hurricane: Eyewitness to a Storm (ABC) – Glenn Steinfast & Darcy Bonfils

  • "Part II" – How To Survive A Plane Crash (ABC) – Darcy Bonfils
  • Rudolph's 60th Birthday (CBS) – Jonathan W. Kaplan

Radio

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Radio Documentary

"CBS News 20th Century Roundup" (CBS Radio Network) – Paul Farry & Steve Kathan

Radio News Script – Regularly Scheduled, Bulletin, or Breaking Report

Tie between the following two programs:
"CBS News on the Hour" (CBS Radio Network) – Steven Gosset
"World News this Week" (ABC News Radio) – Michelle Gillan Fisher

Radio News Script – Analysis, Feature or Commentary

"The Wedding Dress" (ABC News Radio) – Mike Silverstein

Promotional writing

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On-Air Promotion

"NBC Promotions" (NBC) – Lori Sunshine

  • "ABC Promotions" (ABC) – Scott V. Thompson
  • "NBC Promotions" (NBC) – Judie Henninger
  • "NBC Promotions" (NBC) – Miranda Patterson
  • "WCBS Promotions" (WCBS) – William Tynan III

Special awards

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Animation Writers Caucus Animation Award

Alan Burnett

Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement

Betty Comden and Adolph Green

Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement

David Lloyd

Morgan Cox Award

George Kirgo

Paul Selvin Award

Quills (Fox Searchlight Pictures) – Doug Wright

Valentine Davies Award

Paul Haggis

References

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  1. ^ Bergman, Anne (February 25, 2001). "Guild counts on character". Variety. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  2. ^ McNary, Dave (February 28, 2001). "WGA inks 4 presenters". Variety. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  3. ^ McNary, Dave (January 10, 2001). "NBC tops WGA TV noms". Variety. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  4. ^ "Writers Guild Awards Winners". WGA. 2010. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  5. ^ "Writers Guild of America 2001 Awards". IMDb. Retrieved March 11, 2019.