# 33rd Writers Guild of America Awards

The 33rd Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best television, and film writers of 1980. Winners were announced in 1981.

## Winners and nominees
### Film

Winners are listed first highlighted in boldface.
| 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 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 | 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 |
| 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 | Children's Script - Episodic & Specials "The Secret of Lost Valley" – Wonderful World of Disney (NBC) – Paul A. Golding and David Irving "Animal Talk" – CBS Library (CBS) – Kimmer Ringwald "The Incredible Book Escape" – CBS Library (CBS) – George Arthur Bloom "The Gold-Bug" – ABC Weekend Specials (ABC) – Edward Pomerantz |
| Variety, Musical or Comedy All Commercials, A Steve Martin Special (NBC) – Steve Martin, Neal Israel, Jeffrey Barron, Earl Brown, Carmen Finestra, Denny Johnston, Sean Kelly, Pat McCormick, Michael McManus, Pat Proft and Mason Williams |

### 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 |