49th Writers Guild of America Awards
Introduction The '''49th Writers Guild of America Awards''', given on 16 March 1997, honored the best writers of screen and television of 1996.
Film ===Best Original Screenplay===''' '' Fargo'' - Joel and Ethan Coen'''*''Jerry Maguire'' - Cameron Crowe*''Lone Star'' - John Sayles*''Secrets & Lies'' - Mike Leigh*''Shine'' - Jan Sardi and Scott Hicks===Best Adapted Screenplay===''' ''Sling Blade'' - Billy Bob Thornton'''*''Emma'' - Douglas McGrath*''The Birdcage'' - Elaine May*''The English Patient'' - Anthony Minghella*''Trainspotting'' - John Hodge
Television ===Best Episodic Drama===''' ''Girl Talk'' - NYPD Blue - Theresa Rebeck and Bill Clark'''*''Aftershock'' - Law & Order - Janis Diamond and Michael S. Chernuchin*''Savages'' - Law & Order - Morgan Gendel, Barry M. Schkolnick and Michael S. Chernuchin*''Trophy'' - Law & Order - Jeremy R. Litman, Ed Zuckerman and Michael S. Chernuchin*''Pilot'' - Murder One - Charles H. Eglee, Channing Gibson, Steven Bochco and David Milch*''Falsies - Party of Five'' - Mark B. Perry*''Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose'' - The X Files - Darin Morgan===Best Episodic Comedy===''' ''The Pool Guy'' - Seinfeld - David Mandel'''*''The Soup Nazi'' - Seinfeld - Spike Feresten*''The Sponge'' - Seinfeld - Peter Mehlman*''Eight'' - The Larry Sanders Show - Peter Tolan
References * WGA - Previous award winners