88th Academy Awards: Best Original Screenplay

The nominees:

Bridge of Spies
Nominated Writers and Oscar History:

* Matt Charman - first nomination

* Joel Coen - 4 wins for Best Original Screenplay for Fargo (1996), for Best Adapted Screenplay for No Country For Old Men (2007), Best Director for No Country for Old Men (2007), Best Picture for No Country for Old Men (2007); 9 previous nominations for Best Director for Fargo (1996) and True Grit (2010), for Best Film Editing for Fargo (1996) and No Country For Old Men (20007), for Best Adapted Screenplay for O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), and True Grit (2010), for Best Original Screenplay for A Serious Man (2009), and for Best Picture for A Serious Man (2009) and True Grit (2010)

* Ethan Coen - 4 wins for Best Original Screenplay for Fargo (1996), for Best Adapted Screenplay for No Country For Old Men (2007), Best Director for No Country for Old Men (2007), Best Picture for No Country for Old Men (2007); 9 previous nominations for Best Director for True Grit (2010), for Best Film Editing for Fargo (1996) and No Country For Old Men (2007), for Best Adapted Screenplay for O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), and True Grit (2010), for Best Original Screenplay for A Serious Man (2009), and for Best Picture for Fargo (1996), A Serious Man (2009) and True Grit (2010)


Ex Machina
Nominated Writers and Oscar History:

* Alex Garland - first nomination


Inside Out
Nominated Writers and Oscar History:

* Pete Docter - 1 previous win for Best Animated Feature for Up (2009); 1 previous nominated for Best Animated Feature for Monster's, Inc (2001); 3 previous nominations for Best Original Screenplay for Toy Story (1995), Wall-E (2008), and Up (2009); 1 previous nomination for Best Animated Short Film for Mike's New Car (2002)
Also nominated for Best Animated Feature for Inside Out

* Meg LeFauve - first nomination

* Josh Cooley - first nomination

* Ronnie del Carmen - first nomination


Spotlight
* Tom McCarthy - 1 previous nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Up (2009)
Also nominated for Best Director for Spotlight

* Josh Singer - first nomination


Straight Outta Compton
* Jonathan Herman - first nomination

* Andrea Berloff - first nomination

* S. Leigh Savidge - first nomination

* Alan Wenkus - first nomination


What I've Seen: Bridge of Spies, Ex Machina, Inside Out, Spotlight

My Pick: Spotlight

Not Nominated, But Should Have Been: Mistress America

Predicted Winner: Spotlight