Women screenwriters have swept the TV drama and comedy categories for the Writers Guild of Canada’s Screenwriting Awards for the first time in their 23-year history.
The awards celebrate Canadian screenwriting talent across Canadian-made TV, film, documentaries and webseries.
This year, both the TV drama and TV comedy categories consist solely of female nominees, who are nominated for specific episodes of a series.
Vying for the TV drama prize is Jennica Harper and Sarah Dodd for series two of CTV’s Cardinal (separate nominees); Julie Puckrin for series four of Space’s Killjoys; Caitlin D. Fryers for series three of Syfy’s Wynonna Earp.
Meanwhile, TV comedy award nominees include Sonja Bennett for CraveTV’s Letterkenny Christmas special ‘The Three Wise Men’; Rupinder Gill for series four of CBC’s Schitt’s Creek; and Amanda Joy for series two of City’s Second Jen.
The WGC Screenwriting Awards will be handed out at a gala event on 29 April in Toronto.
Remaining finalists are listed below:
BEST NEW SERIES SCRIPT
- The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco, “Presidio,” written by Daegan Fryklind
- Cupcake & Dino: General Services, “Growing Pains,” written by Joel Buxton
- Little Dog, “Round One,” written by Joel Thomas Hynes
- Little Dog, “Round Five,” written by Christopher Roberts
CHILDREN’S
- Chop Chop Ninja, “In Charge,” written by Paul Stoica & Alexandre Riendeau
- Cupcake & Dino: General Services, “Christmas is Cancelled,” written by Mike Girard
- Odd Squad, Season 2, “Saving Agent Orson,” written by Mark De Angelis
- WISHFART, “I Wear This Hat Ironically,” written by Josh Sager & Jerome Simpson
- WISHFART, “Litterfools Ain’t Cool,” written by John Hazlett & Lienne Sawatsky & Dan Williams
DOCUMENTARY
- Catwalk: Tales from the Cat Show Circuit, written by Michael McNamara
- The Fruit Machine, written by Sarah Fodey
- Jumbo: The Life of an Elephant Superstar, written by Christine Nielsen
FEATURE FILM
- 22 Chaser, written by Jeremy Boxen
- The Grizzlies, story by Graham Yost/screenplay by Graham Yost and Moira Walley-Beckett
- Splinters, written by Thom Fitzgerald
MOW AND MINISERIES
- No One Would Tell, written by Caitlin D. Fryers
- Odd Squad: World Turned Odd, written by Tim McKeon
- Separated at Birth, written by James Phillips
SHORTS AND WEBSERIES
- Chateau Laurier, story by Emily Weedon/teleplay by Kent Staines & Emily Weedon
- NarcoLeap, “Unintended Consequences,” written by David Schmidt
- We’ve Come to the End of Our Time, written by Alex Epstein & Lisa Hunter
TV COMEDY
- Letterkenny, “A Letterkenny Christmas: The Three Wise Men,” written by Sonja Bennett
- Schitt’s Creek, Season 4, “RIP Moira Rose,” written by Rupinder Gill
- Second Jen, Season 2, “Like a Girl,” written by Amanda Joy
TV DRAMA
- Cardinal: Blackfly Season, Season 2, “Kevin,” written by Jennica Harper
- Cardinal: Blackfly Season, Season 2, “Red,” written by Sarah Dodd
- Killjoys, Season 4, “Baby, Face Killer,” written by Julie Puckrin
- Wynonna Earp, Season 3, “When You Call My Name ,” written by Caitlin D. Fryers
TWEENS & TEENS
- ReBoot: The Guardian Code, “Identity Theft,” written by Todd Ireland
- Star Falls, “The Bachelor Auction,” written by Cole Bastedo
- Star Falls, “The Camping Trip,” written by Jennifer Daley
