Irish writer behind Banshees film absent from WGA list for best original screenplay

Martin McDonagh was noticeably absent from the Writers Guild of America (WGA) list for best original screenplay.

The British-Irish director and writer’s main award season rivals Steven Spielberg, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, and Todd Field all secured nods in the top WGA category. 

It comes after all five directors were nominated for Academy Awards for best original screenplay on Tuesday, along with Triangle Of Sadness writer Ruben Ostlund.

Spielberg was nominated for the WGA best original screenplay for the Fabelmans, Field for Tar, and Kwan and Scheinert for Everything Everywhere All At Once.

McDonagh’s The Banshees Of Inisherin has already won the Golden Globe award for best screenplay and was also nominated in the equivalent category at the Critics Choice Awards (CCA). 

But the film was snubbed on Wednesday by the WGA.

Surprise contenders for the WGA best original screenplay were The Menu, written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy; and Jordan Peele’s Nope.

Neither film’s screenplay was nominated at the Golden Globes or the CCA.

Snubs also came for nine-time Oscar-nominated German film All Quiet On The Western Front, and Living – starring Bill Nighy – neither of which featured in the WGA’s best adapted screenplay category.

Blockbuster sequels Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Top Gun: Maverick, all received nominations in the category. 

Sarah Polley’s Women Talking, starring Frances McDormand, Claire Foy and Ben Whishaw also earned a nod, as well as She Said, written by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie.

In the WGA television categories, Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary picked up nominations for both comedy series and new series, as did The Bear. 

The Crown was nominated for best drama series, and Irish actress Sharon Horgan’s Bad Sisters also earned a nomination in the WGA best new series category.

Winners of the 75th annual Writers Guild of America awards will be announced on Sunday March 5.