Writing (Original Story) Oscar Winners & Nomination History

The AwardWentTo archive contains 127 Academy Award records for Writing (Original Story), including 27 wins, across 27 film years (1927/28–1956).

Years follow the source film eligibility/dataset year, which may differ from the ceremony calendar year. Counts describe film-linked archive records, including historical and special-award context where supplied.

Archive film years: 1927–2025. Leave either field blank to include the earliest or latest available year.

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Winner history

27 winning records in the selected film-year range. Follow a year to see its other category results.

Writing (Original Story) winner history by film year, film and credited nominee or recipient
Film yearFilmCredited nominee / recipient
Film year1956FilmThe Brave One IMDb Credited nominee / recipientDalton Trumbo
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Motion Picture Story)

NOTE: The name of the writer credited with authorship, Robert Rich, turned out to be an alias. Two decades later, the mystery was officially solved and the Academy statuette went (on May 2, 1975, presented by then Academy president Walter Mirisch) to its rightful owner, screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, blacklisted in 1956 by the industry for political affiliations. Robert Rich (who had nothing to do with the film industry) is a nephew of the King Brothers, producers of the film. They chose his name to be the alias for Dalton Trumbo on the screenplay.

Film year1955FilmLove Me or Leave Me IMDb Credited nominee / recipientDaniel Fuchs
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Motion Picture Story)

Film year1954FilmBroken Lance IMDb Credited nominee / recipientPhilip Yordan
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Motion Picture Story)

Film year1953FilmRoman Holiday IMDb Credited nominee / recipientDalton Trumbo
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Motion Picture Story)

NOTE: The screen credit and award were originally credited to Ian McLellan Hunter, who was a \"front\" for Dalton Trumbo. On December 15, 1992, the Academy's Board of Governors voted to change the records and award Mr. Trumbo with the achievement. Ian McLellan Hunter's name was removed from the Motion Picture Story category. The Oscar was posthumously presented to Trumbo's widow on May 10, 1993.

Film year1952FilmThe Greatest Show on Earth IMDb Credited nominee / recipientFredric M. Frank, Theodore St. John, Frank Cavett
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Motion Picture Story)

Film year1951FilmSeven Days to Noon IMDb Credited nominee / recipientPaul Dehn, James Bernard
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Motion Picture Story)

Film year1950FilmPanic in the Streets IMDb Credited nominee / recipientEdna Anhalt, Edward Anhalt
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Motion Picture Story)

Film year1949FilmThe Stratton Story IMDb Credited nominee / recipientDouglas Morrow
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Motion Picture Story)

Film year1948FilmThe Search IMDb Credited nominee / recipientRichard Schweizer, David Wechsler
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Motion Picture Story)

Film year1947FilmMiracle on 34th Street IMDb Credited nominee / recipientValentine Davies
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Motion Picture Story)

Film year1946FilmVacation from Marriage IMDb Credited nominee / recipientClemence Dane
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Original Motion Picture Story)

Film year1945FilmThe House on 92nd Street IMDb Credited nominee / recipientCharles G. Booth
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Original Motion Picture Story)

Film year1944FilmGoing My Way IMDb Credited nominee / recipientLeo McCarey
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Original Motion Picture Story)

Film year1943FilmThe Human Comedy IMDb Credited nominee / recipientWilliam Saroyan
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Original Motion Picture Story)

Film year1942FilmThe Invaders IMDb Credited nominee / recipientEmeric Pressburger
Source context

Source category: WRITING (Original Motion Picture Story)

Film year1941FilmHere Comes Mr. Jordan IMDb Credited nominee / recipientHarry Segall
Film year1940FilmArise, My Love IMDb Credited nominee / recipientBenjamin Glazer, John S. Toldy
Film year1939FilmMr. Smith Goes to Washington IMDb Credited nominee / recipientLewis R. Foster
Film year1938FilmBoys Town IMDb Credited nominee / recipientDore Schary, Eleanore Griffin
Film year1937FilmA Star Is Born IMDb Credited nominee / recipientWilliam A. Wellman, Robert Carson
Film year1936FilmThe Story of Louis Pasteur IMDb Credited nominee / recipientPierre Collings, Sheridan Gibney
Film year1935FilmThe Scoundrel IMDb Credited nominee / recipientBen Hecht, Charles MacArthur
Film year1934FilmManhattan Melodrama IMDb Credited nominee / recipientArthur Caesar
Film year1932/33FilmOne Way Passage IMDb Credited nominee / recipientRobert Lord
Film year1931/32FilmThe Champ IMDb Credited nominee / recipientFrances Marion
Film year1930/31FilmThe Dawn Patrol IMDb Credited nominee / recipientJohn Monk Saunders
Film year1927/28FilmUnderworld IMDb Credited nominee / recipientBen Hecht

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127 film/year points with available runtime data in the selected range. The chart groups records for the same film and year.

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About these award records

This independent archive groups film-linked award records by film, credited name, category and eligibility year. The film year can differ from the year the ceremony took place. Ceremony numbers are shown where supplied by the records.

Each distinct performance, song or award credit remains a separate record, even when it belongs to the same film. Shared credits stay together. A person's page covers the name shown, without combining aliases or shared credits into a complete career total.

Totals can include honorary, special and historical awards alongside competitive nominations. Awards without a linked film are outside these page totals. Source notes and uncertain records are retained; category comparisons omit groups with unresolved notes, ties or conflicting identities.

For the official record, search the Academy Awards Database (opens in a new tab). Award Went To is an independent exploration tool and is not affiliated with the Academy.