The 49th Writers Guild of America Awards, given on 16 March 1997, honored the best writers of screen and television of 1996.

Fargo - Joel and Ethan Coen

• Jerry Maguire - Cameron Crowe
• Lone Star - John Sayles
• Secrets & Lies - Mike Leigh
• Shine - Jan Sardi and Scott Hicks

Sling Blade - Billy Bob Thornton

• Emma - Douglas McGrath
• The Birdcage - Elaine May
• The English Patient - Anthony Minghella
• Trainspotting - John Hodge

Girl Talk - NYPD Blue - Theresa Rebeck and Bill Clark

• Aftershock - Law & Order - Janis Diamond and Michael S. Chernuchin
• Savages - Law & Order - Morgan Gendel, Barry M. Schkolnick and Michael S. Chernuchin
• Trophy - Law & Order - Jeremy R. Litman, Ed Zuckerman and Michael S. Chernuchin
• Pilot - Murder One - Charles H. Eglee, Channing Gibson, Steven Bochco and David Milch
• Falsies - Party of Five - Mark B. Perry
• Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose - The X Files - Darin Morgan

The Pool Guy - Seinfeld - David Mandel

• The Soup Nazi - Seinfeld - Spike Feresten
• The Sponge - Seinfeld - Peter Mehlman
• Eight - The Larry Sanders Show - Peter Tolan

• WGA - Previous award winners