Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay

Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
Name	Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
Current awards	95th Academy Awards
Awarded for	Best screenplay not based upon previously published material
Presenter	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Country	United States
Year	1940
Website	oscars.org

Contents

History and background
Eligibility and nomination process
Winners and nominees
Multiple wins and nominations
Notable records and statistics
See also

Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize the writer of a screenplay not based upon previously published material. First awarded at the 13th Academy Awards for films released in 1940, it honors the most outstanding achievement in original screenwriting for a motion picture. The award is considered one of the most prestigious honors for a screenwriter, celebrating unique storytelling and creative vision.

History and background

The award was introduced at the 13th Academy Awards, with the first recipient being Preston Sturges for his work on The Great McGinty. Initially, the category was known as Best Original Screenplay, but it has undergone several name changes, including Best Original Story and Best Story and Screenplay, before settling on its current title in 1974. The evolution of the category reflects the changing nature of film authorship and the Academy's efforts to properly credit both the originating story and the final screenplay. Landmark winners in the early decades include Billy Wilder for The Lost Weekend and Sunset Boulevard, and Paddy Chayefsky for Marty and The Hospital.

Eligibility and nomination process

To be eligible, a screenplay must be an original work, not adapted from previously published material such as a novel, play, or another film. The screenplay must be written in English and submitted for consideration by the film's producers. The nomination process involves voting by the Writers Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; only active members of this branch may nominate up to five screenplays for the award. Following the announcement of nominees, the final winner is selected by a preferential ballot vote from the entire Academy membership.

Winners and nominees

Winners have spanned a wide range of genres and styles, from romantic comedies like Annie Hall, written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman, to epic dramas like The King's Speech by David Seidler. Other notable winners include Quentin Tarantino for Pulp Fiction, Jordan Peele for Get Out, and Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won for Parasite. The list of nominees often includes critically acclaimed works that define their era, such as Citizen Kane by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by Charlie Kaufman.

Multiple wins and nominations

The most decorated writer in this category is Woody Allen, with three wins for Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, and Midnight in Paris, alongside numerous nominations for films like Manhattan and Crimes and Misdemeanors. Billy Wilder and Paddy Chayefsky each won twice, for The Lost Weekend and Sunset Boulevard, and for Marty and The Hospital, respectively. Other writers with multiple nominations include Francis Ford Coppola for The Conversation and Patton, and Quentin Tarantino for Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds.

Notable records and statistics

Jordan Peele made history as the first African-American to win the award for Get Out. Sofia Coppola became the third woman to win for Lost in Translation, following Frances Marion and Jane Campion. The youngest winner is Ben Affleck, who won at age 25 for Good Will Hunting with Matt Damon, while the oldest is David Seidler, who won at 73 for The King's Speech. The award has occasionally been presented to writing duos or teams, as seen with Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for Fargo.