USC Scripter Awards

The USC Scripter Award (Scripter) is the name given to an award presented annually by the University of Southern California (USC) to honor both authors and screenwriters. Starting in 1988, the USC Libraries Board of Councilors award the year's best film adaptation of a printed work, recognizing the original author and the screenwriter. In 2016, a television adaption Scripter award was added as well as the Literary Achievement Award. The Ex Libris Award is occasionally presented to long-time supporters of the USC Libraries. USC Libraries website writes, "Scripter celebrates writers and writing, collaboration, and the profound results of transforming one artistic medium into another. It stands as an emblem of libraries’ ability to inspire creative and scholarly achievement."

Winners and nominees

1988

• 84 Charing Cross Road
  • Hugh Whitemore (screenwriter); Helene Hanff (original author)

1989

• The Accidental Tourist
  • Anne Tyler (author); Frank Galati and Lawrence Kasdan (screenwriters)

1990

• Awakenings
  • Oliver Sacks (author and screenwriter); Steven Zaillian (screenwriter)

1991

• Fried Green Tomatoes
  • Fannie Flagg (author and screenwriter); Carol Sobieski (screenwriter)

1992

• A River Runs Through It
  • Norman Maclean (author); Richard Friedenberg (screenwriter)

1993

• Schindler's List
  • Thomas Keneally (author); Steven Zaillian (screenwriter)

1994

• The Shawshank Redemption
  • Stephen King (author); Frank Darabont (screenwriter)

1995

• Sense and Sensibility
  • Jane Austen (author); Emma Thompson (screenwriter)

1996

• The English Patient
  • Michael Ondaatje (author and screenwriter); Anthony Minghella (screenwriter)

1997

Winner

• L.A. Confidential
  • Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland (screenwriters); James Ellroy (author)

Nominees

• Donnie Brasco
  • Paul Attanasio (screenwriter); Joseph D. Pistone and Richard Woodley (authors)
• The Rainmaker
  • Francis Ford Coppola (screenwriter); John Grisham (author)
• The Sweet Hereafter
  • Atom Egoyan (screenplay); Russell Banks (author)
• The Wings of the Dove
  • Hossein Amini (screenwriter); Henry James (author)

1998

Winner

• A Civil Action
  • Jonathan Harr (author); Steven Zaillian (screenwriter)

Nominees

• Gods and Monsters
  • Christopher Bram (author); Bill Condon (screenwriter)
• Primary Colors
  • Joe Klein (author); Elaine May (screenwriter)
• A Simple Plan
  • Scott B. Smith (author and screenwriter)
• The Thin Red Line
  • James Jones (author); Terrence Malick (screenwriter)

1999

Winner

• The Hurricane
  • Rubin Carter (author: The 16th Round); Sam Chaiton (author: Lazarus and the Hurricane); Terry Swinton (author: Lazarus and the Hurricane); Armyan Bernstein and Dan Gordon (screenwriters)

Nominees

• The Cider House Rules
  • John Irving (author and screenwriter)
• The End of the Affair
  • Graham Greene (author); Neil Jordan (screenwriter)
• The Green Mile
  • Stephen King (author); Frank Darabont (screenwriter)
• The Talented Mr. Ripley
  • Patricia Highsmith (author); Anthony Minghella (screenwriter)

2000

Winner

• Wonder Boys
  • Steve Kloves (screenwriter); Michael Chabon (author)

Nominees

• All the Pretty Horses
  • Cormac McCarthy (author); Ted Tally (screenwriter)
• Chocolat
  • Joanne Harris (author); Robert Nelson Jacobs (screenwriter)
• High Fidelity
  • Nick Hornby (author); D. V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, John Cusack, and Scott Rosenberg (screenwriters)
• The House of Mirth
  • Edith Wharton (author); Terence Davies (screenwriter)

2001

Winner

• A Beautiful Mind
  • Akiva Goldsman (screenwriter); Sylvia Nasar (author)

Nominees

• Bridget Jones's Diary
  • Helen Fielding (screenwriter/author); Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis (screenwriters)
• In the Bedroom
  • Robert Festinger and Todd Field (screenwriters); Andre Dubus (author)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  • Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, and Philippa Boyens (screenwriters); J. R. R. Tolkien (author)
• The Shipping News
  • Robert Nelson Jacobs (screenwriter); E. Annie Proulx (author)

2002

Winner

• The Hours
  • David Hare (screenwriter); Michael Cunningham (author)

Nominees

• About Schmidt
  • Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor (screenwriters); Louis Begley (author)
• Adaptation.
  • Charlie Kaufman (screenwriter); Susan Orlean (author)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  • Fran Walsh, Stephen Sinclair, Peter Jackson, and Philippa Boyens (screenwriters); J. R. R. Tolkien (author)
• The Pianist
  • Ronald Harwood (screenwriter); Władysław Szpilman (author)

2003

Winner

• Mystic River
  • Brian Helgeland (screenwriter); Dennis Lehane (author)
• Seabiscuit
  • Gary Ross (screenwriter); Laura Hillenbrand (author)

Nominees

• Cold Mountain
  • Anthony Minghella (screenwriter); Charles Frazier (author)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  • Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, and Philippa Boyens (screenwriters); J. R. R. Tolkien (author)
• Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
  • Peter Weir and John Collee (screenwriters); Patrick O'Brian (author)

2004

Winner

• Million Dollar Baby
  • F.X. Toole (author); Paul Haggis (screenplay)

Nominees

• The Bourne Supremacy
  • Robert Ludlum (author); Tony Gilroy (screenplay)
• The Door in the Floor
  • John Irving (author); Tod Williams (screenplay)
• Friday Night Lights
  • H. G. Bissinger (author); Peter Berg, Buzz Bissinger, and David Aaron Cohen (screenplay)
• Sideways
  • Rex Pickett (author); Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, (screenplay)

2005

Winner

• Capote
  • Dan Futterman (screenwriter); Gerald Clarke (author)

Nominees

• Brokeback Mountain
  • Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana (screenwriters); E. Annie Proulx (author)
• The Constant Gardener
  • Jeffrey Caine (screenwriter); John le Carré (author)
• A History of Violence
  • Josh Olson (screenwriter); John Wagner and Vince Locke (authors)
• Syriana
  • Stephen Gaghan (screenwriter); Robert Baer (author)

2006

Winner

• Children of Men
  • David Arata, Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, and Timothy J. Sexton (screenwriters); P. D. James (author)

Nominees

• The Devil Wears Prada
  • Aline Brosh McKenna (screenwriter); Lauren Weisberger (author)
• The Illusionist
  • Neil Burger (screenwriter); Steven Millhauser (author)
• The Last King of Scotland
  • Jeremy Brock and Peter Morgan (screenwriters); Giles Foden (author)
• Notes on a Scandal
  • Patrick Marber (screenwriter); Zoë Heller (author)

2007

Winner

• No Country for Old Men
  • Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (screenwriters); Cormac McCarthy (author)

Nominees

• Atonement
• Into the Wild
• There Will Be Blood
• Zodiac

2008

Winner

• Slumdog Millionaire
  • Simon Beaufoy (screenwriter); Vikas Swarup (author)

Nominees

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Iron Man
• The Reader
• Revolutionary Road

2009

Winner

• Up in the Air
  • Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner (screenwriters); Walter Kirn (author)

Nominees

• Crazy Heart
• District 9
• An Education
• Precious

2010

Winner

• The Social Network
  • Aaron Sorkin (screenwriter); Ben Mezrich (author)

Nominees

• 127 Hours
• The Ghost Writer
• True Grit
• Winter's Bone

2011

Winner

• The Descendants
  • Alexander Payne, Jim Rash, and Nat Faxon (screenwriters); Kaui Hart Hemmings (author)

Nominees

• A Dangerous Method
• Jane Eyre
• Moneyball
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

2012

Winner

• Argo
  • Chris Terrio (screenwriter); Antonio J. Mendez, Joshuah Bearman (authors)

Nominees

• Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• Silver Linings Playbook

2013

Winner

• 12 Years a Slave
  • John Ridley (screenwriter); Solomon Northup (author)

Nominees

• Captain Phillips
• Philomena
• The Spectacular Now
• What Maisie Knew

2014

The 27th-Annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards ceremony was held Saturday January 31, 2015 at USC’s Doheny Library, with Helen Mirren and Taylor Hackford serving as honorary dinner chairpersons.

Winner

• The Imitation Game
  • Graham Moore (screenwriter); Andrew Hodges (author)

Nominees

• Gone Girl
• Inherent Vice
• The Theory of Everything
• Wild

2015

Winner – Film

• The Big Short
  • Adam McKay and Charles Randolph (screenwriters); Michael Lewis (author)

Nominees – Film

• Brooklyn
• The End of the Tour
• The Martian
• Room

Winner – TV

• Show Me a Hero
  • David Simon and William F. Zorzi (screenwriters); Lisa Belkin (author)

Nominees – TV

• Game of Thrones ("Hardhome")
• The Leftovers ("Axis Mundi")
• The Man in the High Castle ("The New World")
• Masters of Sex ("Full Ten Count")

2016

Winner – Film

• Moonlight
  • Barry Jenkins (screenwriter); Tarell Alvin McCraney (author)

Nominees – Film

• Arrival
• Fences
• Hidden Figures
• Lion

Winners – TV (TIE)

• The Night Manager
  • David Farr (screenwriter); John le Carré (author)
• The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story ("Manna from Heaven")
  • Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (screenwriters); Jeffrey Toobin (author)

Nominees – TV

• Game of Thrones ("The Winds of Winter")
• The Man in the High Castle ("Fallout")
• Orange Is the New Black ("Toast Can't Never Be Bread Again")

2017

The 30th-Annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards ceremony was held Saturday February 10, 2018 at USC’s Doheny Library.

Winner – Film

• Call Me by Your Name
  • James Ivory (screenwriter); André Aciman (author)

Nominees – Film

• The Disaster Artist
• Logan
• The Lost City of Z
• Molly's Game
• Mudbound
• Wonder Woman

Winner – TV

• The Handmaid's Tale ("Offred")
  • Bruce Miller (screenwriter); Margaret Atwood (author)

Nominees – TV

• Alias Grace
• Big Little Lies ("You Get What You Need")
• Genius ("Einstein: Chapter One")
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
• Mindhunter ("Chapter 10")

Lifetime Achievement

• Francis Ford Coppola

Ex Libris

• Valerie and Ronald Sugar

2018

The 31st-Annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards ceremony was held Saturday February 9, 2019 at USC’s Doheny Library.

Winner – Film

• Leave No Trace
  • Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini (screenwriters), Peter Rock (author)

Nominees – Film

• Black Panther
• Can You Ever Forgive Me?
• The Death of Stalin
• If Beale Street Could Talk

Winner – TV

• A Very English Scandal
  • Russell T Davies (screenwriter), John Preston (author)

Nominees – TV

• The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story ("The Man Who Would Be Vogue")
• The Handmaid's Tale ("Holly")
• The Looming Tower ("9/11")
• Patrick Melrose ("Bad News")
• Sharp Objects ("Vanish")

2019

The 32nd-Annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards ceremony was held Saturday January 25, 2020 at USC’s Doheny Library.

Winner – Film

• Little Women
  • Greta Gerwig (screenwriter), Louisa May Alcott (author)

Nominees – Film

• Dark Waters
• The Irishman
• Jojo Rabbit
• The Two Popes

Winner – TV

• Fleabag
  • Phoebe Waller-Bridge (author and screenwriter)

Nominees – TV

• Fosse/Verdon ("Nowadays")
• Killing Eve ("Nice and Neat")
• Unbelievable ("An Unbelievable Story of Rape")
• Patrick Melrose ("Bad News")
• Watchmen ("Watchmen")

External links

• Official website
• 30th-Annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards on YouTube