Amy Poehler presents the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence to Paula Pell at the 72nd annual Writers Guild Awards at New York’s Edison Ballroom on Saturday, February 1, 2020.

The Writers Guild of America, East's New York Ceremony was hosted by actor, comedian, and TV and radio host John Fugelsang. Presenters who appeared in New York City included Golden Globe and SAG Award-winning actor Kevin Bacon (City on a Hill), Emmy Award winner and Writers Guild Award-nominated writer and talk show host Samantha Bee (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee),Emmy Award winner and Writers Guild Award-nominated writer and talk show host Jimmy Fallon (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), BAFTA Award-nominated actor Sam Heughan (Outlander), Daytime Emmy Award-nominated talk show host Sunny Hostin (The View), Essence Black Women in Hollywood honoree and actress Dominique Jackson (Pose), Emmy Award-winning actor Luke Kirby (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Emmy Award winner and Writers Guild Award-nominated actress and writer Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll), Golden Globe-nominated actress Sienna Miller (The Loudest Voice), Film Independent Spirit Award-nominated actor Tim Blake Nelson (Watchmen), and Emmy Award and Writers Guild Award-nominated writer and on-screen talent Amber Ruffin (Late Night with Seth Meyers). The announcer for the evening was Emmy Award-winning correspondent and actress Nancy Giles (CBS News Sunday Morning).

The WGAE presented three honorary awards at the New York ceremony. Richard Price, the Academy Award-nominated writer of The Color of Money, the co-creator of The Night Of, and a writer for The Wire and The Deuce, was presented with the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement by Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton; The Bourne Identity). Writer and actress Paula Pell, who has won five Writers Guild Awards and received another nine nominations for her work at Saturday Night Live, in addition to writing credits for 30 Rock, A.P. Bio and the feature film Sisters, was presented with the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence and Mentorship by Amy Poehler, who recently directed Pell in Wine Country. Writer, WGAE Council member and co-chair of the WGAE Committee for Inclusion and Equity Lisa Takeuchi Cullen (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) was presented the Richard B. Jablow Award for Devoted Service to the Guild by last year’s recipient, Randall Jansta.

Production credits for the WGAE’s show included: Co-Executive Producers Bonnie Datt, Shannon Walker; Producer Caroline Waxler; Head Writer Ann Cohen; Writers Doug Abeles, David Stephen Cohen, Bonnie Datt, Don Hooper, Dru Johnston, Kristy Lopez-Bernal, Monique Moses, Dan Perlman, Bill Scheft, Sasha Stewart, Shannon Walker, Caroline Waxler, Cody Wilkins; Line Producer LBI Audio, Video & Scenic Solutions; Clips/Tribute Reel Editors Ben Garst, Chris Lewis; and Event Videographer Kathryn Porter.

For more information on the Writers Guild Awards, visit wgaeast.org/awards.