LOS ANGELES, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- "The Hurt Locker" and "Up in the Air" won the Writers Guild of America's top movie writing awards in ceremonies Saturday in Los Angeles and New York.
Mark Boal won for best original screenplay for "The Hurt Locker," the story of an elite U.S. military bomb squad in Iraq. Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner won for best adapted screenplay for "Up in the Air," based on the Walter Kirn novel about a man who specializes in executing employee layoffs.
Both screenplays are nominated for Oscars.
Mark Monroe won the WGA award for documentary screenwriting for "The Cove," about a struggle over human treatment of dolphins.
"Mad Men" won the WGA award for drama series, "30 Rock" won for comedy series and "Modern Family" won for best new series. "The Simpsons" took the WGA prize for animation writing.
There was a tie for comedy/variety writing between "Saturday Night Live" and "The Daily Show." "The Young and the Restless" won for daytime serial writing.
The WGA presented the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television to Larry David of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Seinfeld." Barry Levinson ("Rain Man," "Good Morning, Vietnam") received the Screen Laurel Award for lifetime achievement, and Anthony Peckham, the writer of "Invictus," received the Paul Selvin Award, in recognition of work that spotlights constitutional rights and civil liberties.
Gary David Goldberg ("Family Ties") received the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence.
