USC Scripter Nominations Revealed!

The USC Scripter nominations have been announced, and it comes with some expected heavy hitters and one potential surprise. After picking up a surprise nomination earlier today from the Independent Spirit Awards, Bad Education pulled in another nod from the Scripters, with Mike Makowsky getting nominated for his adaptation of Robert Kolker’s New York magazine article “The Bad Superintendent”. 

The other nods are ones we’ve seen plenty of times over the last few months, with First Cow, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Nomadland, and One Night in Miami rounding out the adapted screenplays being honored this year. 

For the full list of those nominated, along with the USC Scripter nominees for episodic television, see below: 

SCREENPLAY IN FILM

Bad Education, Mike Makowsky (based on the New York magazine article “The Bad Superintendent” by Robert Kolker)

First Cow, Jon Raymond and Kelly Reichardt (based on the novel “The Half-Life” by Jon Raymond)

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Ruben Santiago-Hudson (based on the play by August Wilson)

Nomadland, Chloé Zhao (based on the nonfiction book “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century” by Jessica Bruder) 

One Night in Miami, Kemp Powers (based on his play) 

SCREENPLAY IN EPISODICIC TELEVISION 

The Good Lord Bird, Mark Richard and Ethan Hawke, for the episode “Meet the Lord” (based on the novel by James McBride)

Normal People, Sally Rooney and Alice Birch for the fifth episode (based on the novel by Sally Rooney)

The Plot Against America, Ed Burns and David Simon for the sixth episode (based on the novel by Philip Roth)

The Queen’s Gambit, Scott Frank for the episode “Openings,” (based on the novel by Walter Tevis)

Unorthodox, Anna Winger for the first episode (based on the autobiography “Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots” by Deborah Feldman)