Surprises at Guild awards

– Eighth Grade, a first-time feature about an introverted teen’s school experience, won surprise top honours at the Writers Guild of America Awards on Sunday, a week before Hollywood’s award season climaxes with the Oscars.

Bo Burnham’s comedy-drama took the prize for original screenplay, beating out Green Book, Vice and Roma – whose screenplays are all nominated for Oscars – as well as A Quiet Place.

Burnham was also an upstart winner earlier this month at the Directors Guild of America awards where Eighth Grade won for best first-time feature.

In another upset, the top prize for adapted screenplay went to Can you Ever Forgive Me?, written by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty about a biographer who turns to a life of crime.

Melissa McCarthy plays Lee Israel, the writer whose memoir is the basis for the film of the same name.

Holofcener and Whitty, who are nominated for an Oscar, beat out BlacKkKlansman and A Star is Born – also contending for Hollywood’s biggest prize in the adapted screenplay category next week – as well as Black Panther and If Beale Street Could Talk.

In the television category, FX’s The Americans won for best drama. – AFP