Final Draft Awards: Jane Campion and Guillermo Del Toro Tapped for Honors

Jane Campion, Guillermo del toro, Nicole Holofcener and Jeymes Samuel, writers of standout 2021 films, and Danny Strong and the husband-wife team of Bart Nickerson and Ashley Lyle, writers of standout 2021 TV programs, will receive special honors at the 17th annual Final Draft Awards, it was announced by Final Draft, a Cast & Crew Company, on Wednesday.

This year’s edition will be held virtually on March 16, and will also feature 15-minute conversations between each honoree and another esteemed writer about the honoree’s process and views about writing.

Del Toro, who, with his wife Kim Morgan, co-adapted Nightmare Alley from William Lindsay Gresham‘s 1946 novel, will be presented with the Hall of Fame Award, honoring a writer whose body of work has had a profound influence on the industry.

Campion, who adapted The Power of the Dog from Thomas Savage‘s 1967 novel, will receive the inaugural Final Draft Trailblazer Award, which was created to recognize “a writer whose career exudes excellence and who consistently tells compelling and bold stories.

The Storyteller Award recognizes “writers who consistently maintain a level of excellence and surpass expectations,” and is awarded to both a writer of films (this year Holofcener, who most recently joined Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in adapting The Last Duel from Eric Jager‘s 2004 book of the same name) and a writer of TV (this year Strong, who adapted the limited series Dopesick from Beth Macy‘s 2018 book of the same name).

And the New Voice Award toasts “rising and vital talents in the industry,” and is also awarded to both a writer of films (this year Samuel, who, with Boaz Yakin, wrote The Harder They Fall) and a writer of TV (Nickerson and Lyle, who wrote the drama series Yellowjackets).

“Storytellers have been revered throughout history for their ability to connect us,” Final Draft president Shelly Mellott said in a statement. “This year’s honorees are using their considerable talents to tell brave, audacious stories in imaginative ways that entertain, provoke and enlighten audiences. We could not be more proud to honor them and their outstanding work and the impact their stories have on our culture.”