The Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay is one of the annual awards given out by Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers. It was first presented in 1985 with Horton Foote being the first winner of the awards for The Trip to Bountiful.
The category includes both original and adapted screenplays. Despite the creation of the Best First Screenplay category in 1994, first screenplays are also eligible to compete for this award.
Alexander Payne is the most awarded writer in the category with three wins, followed by Neal Jimenez, Gus Van Sant and Jim Taylor with two wins each. Sofia Coppola was the first female writer to win the award.
Winners and nominees
1980s YearFilmRecipient(s)1985Film Independent Spirit Awards - 34 Years of Nominees and WinnersBarry Jenkins expected to join tiny group of double directing champs at Spirit Awards - GoldDerby The Trip to Bountiful Horton Foote After Hours Joseph Minion Blood Simple Joel Coen and Ethan Coen Smooth Talk Tom Cole1986 Platoon Oliver Stone Blue Velvet David Lynch A Great Wall Peter Wang and Shirley Sun Salvador Oliver Stone and Richard Boyle Stand by Me Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Evans1987 River's Edge Neal Jimenez Anna Agnieszka Holland The Dead Tony Huston Matewan John Sayles Swimming to Cambodia Spalding Gray1988 Stand and Deliver Ramón Menéndez and Tom Musca Five Corners John Patrick Shanley Hairspray John Waters The Moderns Alan Rudolph and Jon Bradshaw Patti Rocks John Jenkins, Karen Landry, David Burton Morris, and Chris Mulkey1989 Drugstore Cowboy Gus Van Sant and Daniel Yost 84 Charlie Mopic Patrick Sheane Duncan Heathers Daniel Waters Miracle Mile Steve De Jarnatt Mystery Train Jim Jarmusch
1990s
YearFilmRecipient(s)1990 To Sleep with Anger Charles Burnett Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer John McNaughton and Richard Fire Metropolitan Whit Stillman The Plot Against Harry Michael Roemer Pump Up the Volume Allan Moyle1991 My Own Private Idaho Gus Van Sant Hangin' with the Homeboys Joseph Vásquez Kafka Lem Dobbs Mindwalk Floyd Byars and Fritjof Capra The Rapture Michael Tolkin1992 The Waterdance Neal Jimenez Gas Food Lodging Allison Anders Light Sleeper Paul Schrader A Midnight Clear Keith Gordon One False Move Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson1993 Short Cuts Robert Altman and Frank Barhydt Combination Platter Edwin Baker and Tony Chan Household Saints Nancy Savoca and Richard Guay Ruby in Paradise Victor Nuñez The Wedding Banquet Ang Lee, Neil Peng, and James Schamus1994 Pulp Fiction Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary Bullets Over Broadway Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath Eat Drink Man Woman Hui-Ling Wang, James Schamus, and Ang Lee Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Alan Rudolph and Randy Sue Coburn Red Rock West John Dahl and Rick Dahl1995 The Usual Suspects Christopher McQuarrie Leaving Las Vegas Mike Figgis Living in Oblivion Tom DiCillo Safe Todd Haynes The Secret of Roan Inish John Sayles1996 Fargo Joel Coen and Ethan Coen Dead Man Jim Jarmusch Flirting with Disaster David O. Russell The Funeral Nicholas St. John Lone Star John Sayles1997 Chasing Amy Kevin Smith The Apostle Robert Duvall Touch Paul Schrader Ulee's Gold Victor Nuñez Waiting for Guffman Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy1998 The Opposite of Sex Don Roos Affliction Paul Schrader Blind Faith Frank Military Gods and Monsters Bill Condon The Spanish Prisoner David Mamet1999 Election Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor Dogma Kevin Smith Guinevere Audrey Wells The Limey Lem Dobbs SLC Punk! James Merendino
2000s
YearFilmRecipient(s)2000 You Can Count on Me Kenneth Lonergan Chuck & Buck Mike White Love & Sex Valerie Breiman Two Family House Raymond De Felitta Waking the Dead Robert Dillon2001 Memento Christopher Nolan The Believer Henry Bean In the Bedroom Robert Festinger and Todd Field Monster's Ball Milo Addica and Will Rokos Waking Life Richard Linklater2002 The Good Girl Mike White Lovely & Amazing Nicole Holofcener Roger Dodger Dylan Kidd Thirteen Conversations About One Thing Jill Sprecher and Karen Sprecher Tully Hilary Birmingham and Matt Drake2003 Lost in Translation Sofia Coppola American Splendor Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini A Mighty Wind Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy (...and the cast) Pieces of April Peter Hedges Shattered Glass Billy Ray2004 Sideways Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor Baadasssss! Mario Van Peebles and Dennis Haggerty Before Sunset Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy The Door in the Floor Tod Williams Kinsey Bill Condon2005 Capote Dan Futterman Nine Lives Rodrigo García The Squid and the Whale Noah Baumbach The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada Guillermo Arriaga The War Within Ayad Akhtar, Joseph Castelo, and Tom Glynn2006 Thank You for Smoking Jason Reitman Friends with Money Nicole Holofcener The Illusionist Neil Burger The Painted Veil Ron Nyswaner Sorry, Haters Jeff Stanzler2007 The Savages Tamara Jenkins The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Ronald Harwood Starting Out in the Evening Fred Parnes and Andrew Wagner Waitress Adrienne Shelly Year of the Dog Mike White2008 Vicky Cristina Barcelona Woody Allen Sangre de Mi Sangre Christopher Zalla Savage Grace Howard A. Rodman Sugar Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck Synecdoche, New York Charlie Kaufman2009 (500) Days of Summer Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber Adventureland Greg Mottola The Last Station Michael Hoffman The Messenger Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman The Vicious Kind Lee Toland Krieger
2010s
YearFilmRecipient(s)2010 The Kids Are All Right Stuart Blumberg and Lisa Cholodenko Life During Wartime Todd Solondz Please Give Nicole Holofcener Rabbit Hole David Lindsay-Abaire Winter's Bone Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini2011 The Descendants Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash The Artist Michel Hazanavicius Beginners Mike Mills Footnote Joseph Cedar Win Win Tom McCarthy2012 Silver Linings Playbook David O. Russell Keep the Lights On Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias Moonrise Kingdom Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola Ruby Sparks Zoe Kazan Seven Psychopaths Martin McDonagh2013 12 Years a Slave John Ridley Before Midnight Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy Blue Jasmine Woody Allen Enough Said Nicole Holofcener The Spectacular Now Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber2014 Nightcrawler Dan Gilroy Big Eyes Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski Love Is Strange Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias A Most Violent Year J. C. Chandor Only Lovers Left Alive Jim Jarmusch 2015 Spotlight Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer Anomalisa Charlie Kaufman Bone Tomahawk S. Craig Zahler Carol Phyllis Nagy The End of the Tour Donald Margulies 2016 Moonlight Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney 20th Century Women Mike Mills Hell or High Water Taylor Sheridan Little Men Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias Manchester by the Sea Kenneth Lonergan 2017 Lady Bird Greta Gerwig Beatriz at Dinner Mike White Get Out Jordan Peele The Lovers Azazel Jacobs Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Martin McDonagh 2018 Can You Ever Forgive Me? Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty Colette Richard Glatzer, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, and Wash Westmoreland First Reformed Paul Schrader Private Life Tamara Jenkins Sorry to Bother You Boots Riley 2019 Marriage Story Noah Baumbach Clemency Chinonye Chukwu High Flying Bird Tarell Alvin McCraney To Dust Jason Begue and Shawn Snyder Uncut Gems Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie
2020s
YearFilmRecipient(s) 2020 Promising Young Woman Emerald Fennell Bad Education Mike Makowsky The Half of It Alice Wu Minari Lee Isaac Chung Never Rarely Sometimes Always Eliza Hittman2021 The Lost Daughter Maggie Gyllenhaal C'mon C'mon Mike Mills Swan Song Todd Stephens Together Together Nikole Beckwith Zola Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris2022Everything Everywhere All at OnceDaniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert After Yang Kogonada Catherine Called BirdyLena Dunham Tár Todd FieldWomen Talking Sarah Polley2023American Fiction Cord JeffersonBirth/Rebirth Laura Moss and Brendan J. O'BrienBottoms Emma Seligman and Rachel SennottThe Holdovers David Hemingson Past Lives Celine Song 2024 A Real PainJesse EisenbergA Different ManAaron SchimbergHereticScott Beck and Bryan WoodsI Saw the TV GlowJane SchoenbrunMy Old AssMegan Park2025Spirit Awards 2026 Nominations: Full List – Variety Sorry, Baby Eva VictorA Little PrayerAngus MacLachlanSplitsvilleMichael Angelo Covino and Kyle MarvinSovereignChristian SwegalTwinlessJames Sweeney
See also Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Original Screenplay Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
References