The 50th Writers Guild of America Awards, given on 21 February 1998, honored the best writers in film and television of 1997.

Film

Best Adapted Screenplay

L.A. Confidential – Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland

• Donnie Brasco – Paul Attanasio
• The Ice Storm – James Schamus
• Wag the Dog – Hilary Henkin and David Mamet
• The Wings of the Dove – Hossein Amini

Best Original Screenplay

As Good as It Gets – Mark Andrus and James L. Brooks

• Boogie Nights – Paul Thomas Anderson
• The Full Monty – Simon Beaufoy
• Good Will Hunting – Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
• Titanic – James Cameron

Television

Best Episodic Drama

"Entrapment" - Law & Order - Rene Balcer and Richard Sweren

• "Whose Appy Now?" - ER - Neal Baer
• "Deadbeat" - Law & Order - Ed Zuckerman and I. C. Rapoport

Best Episodic Comedy

"The Fatigues" - Seinfeld - Gregg Kavet and Andy Robin

• "The Puppy Episode" - Ellen - Mark Driscoll, Dana Savel, Tracey Newman, Jonathan Stark and Ellen DeGeneres
• "The Impossible Dream" - Frasier - Rob Greenberg
• "The Chicken Roaster" - Seinfeld - Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer
• "The Bizarro Jerry" - Seinfeld - David Mandel
• "Ellen, Or Isn't She?" - The Larry Sanders Show - Judd Apatow, John Markus and Garry Shandling
• "The Book" - The Larry Sanders Show - Maya Forbes

1997 Daytime Serials Winner- General Hospital: Claire Labine; Matthew Labine; Robert Guza, Jr.; Karen Harris; Michele Val Jean; Meg Bennett; Ralph Ellis; Mary Ryan; Jane Atkins; Stephanie Braxton; Judith Pinsker; Lynda Myles; Elizabeth Korte; Patrick Mulcahey; Lisa Lieberman

Other Nominees: All My Children: Agnes Nixon; Lorraine Broderick; Hal Corley; Fredrick Johnson; Gail Lawrence; Jeff Beldner; Christina Covino; Courtney Sherman; Millee Taggart; Karen Lewis; Elizabeth Smith; Michelle Patrick; Bettina F. Bradbury; Judith Donato; Kathleen Klein; Jane Owen Murphy