Borat 2, Palm Springs, and more among 2021 Writers Guild Awards nominees

The Writers Guild of America has weighed in on the best screenplays of the last year, releasing the nominees for its annual awards on Tuesday.

The list gives a somewhat clearer picture of what the Best Original and Best Adapted Screenplay categories might look like at this year's Oscars, with the nominees including long-expected contenders like The Trial of the Chicago 7, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and One Night in Miami. The WGA nominations also boosted Oscar prospects for Judas and the Black Messiah (which just hit theaters and HBO Max on Friday), Palm Springs, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, and Promising Young Woman, among others.

However, as always, several key Oscar players were ineligible for the WGA Awards due to the guild's eligibility rules; any screenplay not produced under a Writers Guild contract cannot be nominated. Among this year's exclusions are Minari, Nomadland, and Mank, the latter two of which received Best Screenplay nods from the Golden Globes last month.

The 2021 Writers Guild Awards will take place Sunday, March 21, in Los Angeles. See the full list of film nominees below.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Judas and the Black Messiah, Screenplay by Will Berson & Shaka King, Story by Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas; Warner Bros.

Palm Springs, Screenplay by Andy Siara, Story by Andy Siara & Max Barbakow; Hulu

Promising Young Woman, Written by Emerald Fennell; Focus Features

Sound of Metal, Screenplay by Darius Marder & Abraham Marder, Story by Darius Marder & Derek Cianfrance; Amazon Studios

The Trial of the Chicago 7, Written by Aaron Sorkin; Netflix

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Peter Baynham & Erica Rivinoja & Dan Mazer & Jena Friedman & Lee Kern, Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Nina Pedrad, Based on Characters Created by Sacha Baron Cohen; Amazon Studios

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Screenplay by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Based on the Play Written by August Wilson; Netflix

News of the World, Screenplay by Paul Greengrass and Luke Davies, Based upon the Novel by Paulette Jiles; Universal Pictures

One Night in Miami, Screenplay by Kemp Powers, Based on the Stage Play "One Night in Miami" by Kemp Powers; Amazon Studios

The White Tiger, Screenplay by Ramin Bahrani, Based on the Book "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga; Netflix

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

All In: The Fight for Democracy, Written by Jack Youngelson; Amazon Studios

The Dissident, Written by Mark Monroe and Bryan Fogel; Briarcliff Entertainment

Herb Alpert Is…, Written by John Scheinfeld; Abramorama

Red Penguins, Written by Gabe Polsky; Universal Pictures

Totally Under Control, Written by Alex Gibney; Neon

Related content:

• Awards season tracker: Early winners before the 2021 Oscars
• Minari, Mank roar back into Oscar race with huge Critics Choice nominations
• The Awardist podcast: Who are the frontrunners in the longest Oscars season ever?