<<< 33rd Writers Guild of America Awards (1981) >>>

Film
Best Drama Written Directly for the Screenplay
Melvin and Howard, Written by Bo Goldman
Fame, Written by Christopher Gore
My Bodyguard, Written by Alan Ormsby
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screenplay
Private Benjamin, Written by Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer and Harvey Miller
Nine to Five, Written by Colin Higgins and Patricia Resnick; Story by Patricia Resnick
Return of the Secaucus Seven, Written by John Sayles
Stardust Memories, Written by Woody Allen
Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium
Ordinary People, Screenplay by Alvin Sargent; Based on the novel by Judith Guest
Coal Miner's Daughter, Screenplay by Thomas Rickman; Based on the Loretta Lynn and George Vecsey autobiography
The Elephant Man, Screenplay by Christopher De Vore, Eric Bergren and David Lynch; Based on the book by Frederick Treves
The Great Santini, Screenplay by Lewis John Carlino; Based on the novel by Pat Conroy
The Stunt Man, Screenplay by Lawrence B. Marcus and Richard Rush; Based on the novel by Paul Brodeur
Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium
Airplane!, Screenplay by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker; Based on the story by Arthur Hailey
Hopscotch, Screenplay by Brian Garfield and Bryan Forbes; Based on the novel by Brian Garfield
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan; Based on the story by George Lucas
Television
Episodic Drama
"Pilot: Part 1 & 2" - Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (ABC) - Stephen J. Cannell
"Second Spring" - Little house on the Prairie (NBC) - John T. Dugan
"Inheritance" - Lou Grant (CBS) - April Smith
"Brushfire" - Lou Grant (CBS) - Allan Burns, and Gene Reynolds
"Blackout" - Lou Grant (CBS) - Steve Kline
"Dreams" - M*A*S*H (CBS) - Alan Aldan and James Jay Rubinfier
"Pilot" - Skag (NBC) - Abby Mann
Episodic Comedy
"Heal Thyself" - M*A*S*H (CBS) - Dennis Koenig and Gene Reynolds
"The Child Stealers" - Barney Miller (ABC) - Frank Dungan and Jeff Stein
"Morale Victory" - M*A*S*H (CBS) - John Rappaport
"Bottle Fatigue" - M*A*S*H (CBS) - Thad Mumford, and Dan Wilcox
"Art Work" - Taxi (ABC) - Glen Charles and Les Charles
"Alex Jumps Out of an Airplane" - Taxi (ABC) - Ken Estin
"The Censors" - The Associates (ABC) - Stan Daniels and Ed. Weinberger
"Sometimes" - United States (NBC) - Larry Gelbart and Everett Greenbaum
Daytime Serials
Ryan's Hope (ABC) - Paul Avila Mayer, Claire Labine, Mary Munisteri and Jeffrey Lane
The Doctors (NBC) - Eugenie Hunt, Ann Marie Barlow and Ralph Ellis
Texas (NBC) - John William Corrington, Joyce Hooper Corrington, Ralph Adamo, Carole Berlin, Harry Boehm, Elizabeth Boehm, Patrick Mulcahey and John Saffron
Special Awards
Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement
Ben Hecht
Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement
Larry Gelbart
Valentine Davies Award
Arthur E. Orloff
Morgan Cox Award
Ronald Austin