2016 USC SCRIPTER WINNER: MOONLIGHT

So Moonlight wins the USC Scripter for Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney. It thus becomes the natural choice for those predicting the Adapted Screenplay Oscar, as this is the only major group considering the film an adaptation. You can see the nominees at this link.

2016 USC SCRIPTER NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Principal to the prestigious USC Scripter awards is their choice of credits for their nominated films - they recognize both those who write the screenplay and those from whose source material it was adapted. Their 2016 nominees, which are the first non-critics group to list Moonlight as an adaptation, are below. The winner will be revealed on the 11th of February.

USC Scripter Finalists

Luke Davies, adapted from the nonfiction book A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley (Lion)

Eric Heisserer, adapted from the novella Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang (Arrival)

Barry Jenkins, adapted from In Moonlight Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight)

Theodore Melfi and Allison Schroeder, based on the nonfiction book by Margot Lee Shetterly (Hidden Figures)

August Wilson (Fences)

THE BIG SHORT WINS THE 2015 USC SCRIPTER AWARD

Not much to report here. One award went to one film that no-one doubted would win. Adam McKay and Charles Randolph have won the USC Scripter award for their adaptation of Michael Lewis' book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. The great thing about this award is that the person responsible for the winning screenplay's original source (since this is an award for adapted works only) also wins, so Lewis can claim the prize too. If this meant another step forward in the Oscar campaign for anything but The Revenant, I'd be much happier, but since The Big Short was wholly expected to triumph here, let's say this is, at least, not a step backward. Check out the Scripter nominees here.

2015 USC SCRIPTER NOMINATIONS

There's rather little to be said about this. The USC Scripter nominations have been announced, and one should-have-been sure-fire contender is conspicuously absent. Is it The Big Short? Alas, no. Is it The Martian? Nope, nor that. Is it The End of the Tour? Bitch plz, I said 'sure-fire,' not 'surely not!' See for yourself below. Winners announced on the 20th of February.

Emma Donoghue - for the novel and screenplay (Room)

Drew Goddard - screenwriter; and Andy Weir - novelist (The Martian)

Nick Hornby - screenwriter; and Colm Toibin - novelist (Brooklyn)

Donald Margulies - screenwriter, adapted from David Lipsky's memoir 'Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace' (The End of the Tour)

Adam McKay and Charles Randolph - screenwriters, adapted from Michael Lewis' nonfiction work 'The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine' (The Big Short)