Women sweep Canadian Screenwriting Awards’ drama, comedy categories

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