WGA Cancels L.A. Award Show Due to Staff Strike
The Writers Guild of America West has canceled its annual award show in downtown L.A., as its staff remains on strike.
“I am writing to share the news that the 2026 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles ceremony will be cancelled. An alternative celebration for this year’s Los Angeles-based nominees will be scheduled at a later date,” WGA West president Michele Mulroney wrote in a letter, in part, to awards presenters and participants on Sunday morning.
The Writers Guild of America East will still have its awards show in New York on March 8, so the winners will still be publicly recognized. But the L.A. show — which was set to take place at the JW Marriott hotel — will not go forward.
The Writers Guild Staff Union went on strike on Feb. 17, accusing union management of failing to bargain in good faith. The staff union, which represents about 110 employees, is seeking higher wages and “just cause” protections in the employee discipline process. The workers organized last April, and have been picketing daily outside the WGA headquarters at Fairfax Avenue and 3rd Street.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the WGSU said that union management had threatened to cancel the award show if the staff did not accept the latest offer by Friday.
“Make no mistake: This is an attempt by WGAW management to drive a wedge between union staff and WGA membership when we should be building unity ahead of (studio negotiations),” the staff union said.
The staff union would likely have picketed the event, which would have created a dilemma for WGA members and unionized hotel staff who would have to cross a line to enter the building.
The WGA is split into two locals, which hold a simultaneous award show every year. The awards are voted on by the entirety of both guilds.
Comedian and actress Atsuko Okatsuka was on tap to host the L.A. show, while James Cameron was set to receive the WGAW Laurel Award.
Roy Wood, Jr., will still host the New York show at the Edison Ballroom, and Stephen Colbert will receive the Walter Bernstein Award.
Read the full text of the letter below.
Subject: Cancelled: Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles CeremonyTo Presenters and Participants of the 2026 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles
I am writing to share the news that the 2026 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles ceremony will be cancelled. An alternative celebration for this year’s Los Angeles-based nominees will be scheduled at a later date.
Currently, the, the non-supervisory staff of the WGAW, represented by the Pacific Northwest Staff Union (PNWSU), is on strike. While I respect the staff’s right to strike, I also believe that you deserve an uncomplicated celebration of your achievements. We would not ask you, your guests, talent, and crew to cross a picket line to attend.
Now for some housekeeping…
If you have purchased a ticket to the show through our online platform, GuestTix, credit card charges will be refunded automatically to the original card on file. You will receive an email confirming the refund, and the transaction will appear on your card within a few days.
Studios and sponsors will receive outreach from Harvin Rogas at harvin@5bevents.com.
Nominees are invited to attend the 2026 Writers Guild Awards New York Ceremony, hosted by the Writers Guild of America East, which will move forward with all film, television and news awards being presented live on Sunday, March 8, at the Edison Ballroom in Manhattan. To inquire about tickets, please contact Dana Weissman at awards@wgaeast.org or 212-767-7835. The deadline to purchase tickets to the New York Ceremony is EOD on Monday , March 2. Please note that while the WGA West and East work jointly on contracts, including the Minimum Basic Agreement, we are two separate unions. The WGAE’s staff union is organized with United Steelworkers and is not on strike. You can find information about the New York Ceremony host, presenters and honorees here.
If you win the award in your category, someone from the WGAW Awards Office will reach out about delivering your statuette.
The WGAW Board of Directors is confident that staff leadership has acted in good faith during negotiations for a first contract as they balanced addressing the staff union’s demands while also safeguarding the Guild’s core mission of representing writers. You can read more about the status of the Guild’s bargaining with the staff union by reading our Frequently Asked Questions and the side-by-side comparison of the parties’ proposals.
I look forward to when all staff are working together again and writers can come together to celebrate this year of excellence in writing.
Sincerely,
Michele MulroneyWriters Guild of America West
“I am writing to share the news that the 2026 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles ceremony will be cancelled. An alternative celebration for this year’s Los Angeles-based nominees will be scheduled at a later date,” WGA West president Michele Mulroney wrote in a letter, in part, to awards presenters and participants on Sunday morning.
The Writers Guild of America East will still have its awards show in New York on March 8, so the winners will still be publicly recognized. But the L.A. show — which was set to take place at the JW Marriott hotel — will not go forward.
The Writers Guild Staff Union went on strike on Feb. 17, accusing union management of failing to bargain in good faith. The staff union, which represents about 110 employees, is seeking higher wages and “just cause” protections in the employee discipline process. The workers organized last April, and have been picketing daily outside the WGA headquarters at Fairfax Avenue and 3rd Street.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the WGSU said that union management had threatened to cancel the award show if the staff did not accept the latest offer by Friday.
“Make no mistake: This is an attempt by WGAW management to drive a wedge between union staff and WGA membership when we should be building unity ahead of (studio negotiations),” the staff union said.
The staff union would likely have picketed the event, which would have created a dilemma for WGA members and unionized hotel staff who would have to cross a line to enter the building.
The WGA is split into two locals, which hold a simultaneous award show every year. The awards are voted on by the entirety of both guilds.
Comedian and actress Atsuko Okatsuka was on tap to host the L.A. show, while James Cameron was set to receive the WGAW Laurel Award.
Roy Wood, Jr., will still host the New York show at the Edison Ballroom, and Stephen Colbert will receive the Walter Bernstein Award.
Read the full text of the letter below.
Subject: Cancelled: Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles CeremonyTo Presenters and Participants of the 2026 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles
I am writing to share the news that the 2026 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles ceremony will be cancelled. An alternative celebration for this year’s Los Angeles-based nominees will be scheduled at a later date.
Currently, the, the non-supervisory staff of the WGAW, represented by the Pacific Northwest Staff Union (PNWSU), is on strike. While I respect the staff’s right to strike, I also believe that you deserve an uncomplicated celebration of your achievements. We would not ask you, your guests, talent, and crew to cross a picket line to attend.
Now for some housekeeping…
If you have purchased a ticket to the show through our online platform, GuestTix, credit card charges will be refunded automatically to the original card on file. You will receive an email confirming the refund, and the transaction will appear on your card within a few days.
Studios and sponsors will receive outreach from Harvin Rogas at harvin@5bevents.com.
Nominees are invited to attend the 2026 Writers Guild Awards New York Ceremony, hosted by the Writers Guild of America East, which will move forward with all film, television and news awards being presented live on Sunday, March 8, at the Edison Ballroom in Manhattan. To inquire about tickets, please contact Dana Weissman at awards@wgaeast.org or 212-767-7835. The deadline to purchase tickets to the New York Ceremony is EOD on Monday , March 2. Please note that while the WGA West and East work jointly on contracts, including the Minimum Basic Agreement, we are two separate unions. The WGAE’s staff union is organized with United Steelworkers and is not on strike. You can find information about the New York Ceremony host, presenters and honorees here.
If you win the award in your category, someone from the WGAW Awards Office will reach out about delivering your statuette.
The WGAW Board of Directors is confident that staff leadership has acted in good faith during negotiations for a first contract as they balanced addressing the staff union’s demands while also safeguarding the Guild’s core mission of representing writers. You can read more about the status of the Guild’s bargaining with the staff union by reading our Frequently Asked Questions and the side-by-side comparison of the parties’ proposals.
I look forward to when all staff are working together again and writers can come together to celebrate this year of excellence in writing.
Sincerely,
Michele MulroneyWriters Guild of America West