61st Writers Guild of America Awards

The 61st Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film, television, and videogame writers of 2008. Winners were announced on February 7, 2009.

Nominees
Names in bold denote the winners.

Best Adapted Screenplay

 * The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Eric Roth (screenplay), Eric Roth and Robin Swicord (story); F. Scott Fitzgerald (author)
 * The Dark Knight – Jonathan and Christopher Nolan (screenplay), Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer (story); Bob Kane and Bill Finger (creators)
 * Doubt – John Patrick Shanley (screenplay and playwright)
 * Frost/Nixon – Peter Morgan (screenplay and playwright)
 * Slumdog Millionaire – Simon Beaufoy (screenplay); Vikas Swarup (author)

Best Original Screenplay

 * Burn After Reading – Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
 * Milk – Dustin Lance Black
 * Vicky Cristina Barcelona – Woody Allen
 * The Visitor – Tom McCarthy
 * The Wrestler – Robert Siegel

Best Documentary Feature Screenplay

 * Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story - Stefan Forbes and Noland Walker
 * Chicago 10 - Brett Morgen
 * Fuel - Johnny O'Hara
 * Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson - Alex Gibney; from the words of Hunter S. Thompson
 * Waltz with Bashir - Ari Folman

Videogame Writing

 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Haden Blackman, Shawn Pitman, John Stafford and Cameron Suey
 * Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Writer Haris Orkin, story producer Mical Pedriana
 * Dangerous High School Girls in Trouble! - Writing Keith Nemitz, additional writing Adrianne Ambrose
 * Fallout 3 - Lead Writer Emil Pagliarulo, quest writing Erik J. Caponi, Brian Chapin, Jon Paul Duvall, Kurt Kuhlmann, Alan Nanes, Bruce Nesmith and Fred Zeleny, additional quest writing Nate Ellis, William Killeen, Mark Nelson and Justin McSweeney
 * Tomb Raider: Underworld - Story Eric Lindstrom and Toby Gard, screenplay Eric Lindstrom

Paul Selwin Civil Rights Award

 * Dustin Lance Black, "to the member whose script best embodies the spirit of constitutional and civil rights and liberties."