First of all, congratulations on your nomination. At a very difficult time for all of us, I hope you find this recognition from your fellow writers especially meaningful.
As I'm sure you know, we have put significant pressure on the conglomerates by withholding waivers and threatening to picket award shows like the Golden Globes, the People's Choice Awards, and the Academy Awards. Alternatively, we have granted waivers to SAG, the Independent Spirit Awards, and the NAACP Image Awards for varying strategic reasons. In such a highly charged atmosphere where award shows are being canceled or significantly altered because of our decisions, the Board of Directors has been grappling with what to do with our own show.
There are myriad political concerns and publicity issues regardless of what we do and our decisions sometimes change with events but, as of right now, we will not be holding the traditional WGA Awards show previously scheduled for February 9. I feel badly that this decision impacts on the opportunity for the guild to recognize your achievement but, with the Academy Awards bearing down, we expect to be pressured strongly to give them a waiver. Showing that the severity of the strike’s impact motivated us to postpone our own show will help make clear that we cannot give the Academy and the industry a pass.
I know this comes as disappointing news. We have yet to decide exactly what will happen in place of our show but, regardless, we fully intend and expect to celebrate your achievement at a public event once the strike is over.
Let me extend once more my personal congratulations and my gratitude for your understanding and patience. We are all in this together.
Best,
Patric M. Verrone
President, WGA West
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