Voices of Victory

Saturday night was an occasion for celebration, gratitude and reflection as the Writers Guild of America West and the Writers Guild of America East announced the winners of the 2025 Writers Guild Awards. Written by caught up with winners at the Los Angeles ceremony, which can still be streamed on the Guild’s website. We asked how they were feeling about their awards, their union, and the challenges the industry faces. 

Did you attend the show? Download guest photos.

“I always knew I wanted to be a television writer. I love the idea of the writers’ room, of collaborating with a team of people. There’s nothing like it in the entire world. The day that I finally got staffed…it was overwhelming. It’s this dream for so many people, and to get there felt like crossing a finish line of sorts.” – Aaron Eli Coleite, The Spiderwick Chronicles, 2025 Writers Guild Award winner, Children’s Episodic, Long Form & Specials

“There are many more game shows that should be union-covered covered that aren’t. As one of the shows that are covered, we’re very grateful for that and we’re very grateful for this honor.” – Billy Wisse, Pop Culture Jeopardy! – 2025 Writers Guild Award winner, Quiz and Audience Participation

Lauren LeFranc. Photo by Brittany Woodside

“It has been a really challenging time, especially here in LA, with a lot of our productions going elsewhere and the fires that just happened, but I think as a writer, we all kind of tend to rise above in those moments and really band together…It’s really dependent upon the studios and the networks to commit to shooting more in LA and opening the writers’ rooms, I think we’re all participants in that we’re all eager to tell interesting, complex stories.” – Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin, 2025 Writers Guild Award winner, Limited Series

“I wish it was possible for all documentaries to be union-made. I had some health issues this past year, and thank God I was in the union to help me out. I think it’s very valuable and important for us as writers to be part of a community, not only to talk about how to live life and the way we work and create, but also a community in case we get in trouble and need help.” – Mark Monroe, Jim Henson: Idea Man, 2025 Writers Guild Award winner, Documentary Screenplay

Mark Monroe. Photo by Brittany Woodside

“We feel very fortunate to be a part of the WGA, and I really hope that all productions moving forward will have the same. Writers are writers. No matter what you write for, you deserve to be represented by a union. You deserve benefits. You deserve anything that any writer would deserve.” – Katie Crown, Bob’s Burgers, 2025 Writers Guild Award winner, Animation

Katie Crown. Photo by Brittany Woodside

“It’s the best job in the world. We get to write different genres every single day. We get to write horror, we get to write thrillers, police procedurals, trials, love stories and sometimes in the same episode. It’s a pretty cool job to have and we’re very grateful, very appreciative.” – Dave Ryan, The Young and the Restless, 2025 Writers Guild Award winner, Daytime Drama

“It’s a profession where you have to be juggling a lot of pies in the air at the same time and hopefully have a backup plan, especially where the industry is now. I think now more than ever we need great artists writing and making content and having their voices heard.” – Elisabeth Seldes Annacone, The Great Lillian Hall, 2025 Writers Guild Award winner, TV & Streaming Motion Pictures

Joe Mande. Photo by Brittany Woodside

“This writers’ room is an incredible mix of deeply thoughtful people. We care about the characters, but everyone is also just a killer when it comes to comedy writing. I think that’s why people like this show, why it resonates.” – Joe Mande, Hacks, 2025 Writers Guild Award winner, Episodic Comedy and Comedy Series

“What really made a difference on this show is we actually had a ton of support from FX and from Disney in having the writers we needed when we needed them. I didn’t get a no from them. I never got a ‘We’re not going to give you the writers you need,’ whether it’s extra weeks in the writers’ room or having the ability to bring two of them on set during the production with me. That was something that I was really grateful for.”  – Justin Marks, Shōgun, 2025 Writers Guild Award winner, New Series, Episodic Drama, and Drama Series