Top 10 Emerging Screenwriters to Watch in 2026
- Golden Script Admin
- 4 minutes ago
- 5 min read
As part of our ongoing effort to spotlight the voices shaping the future of film and television, we’re excited to present our list of emerging screenwriters to watch in 2026. Each year brings a new wave of storytellers pushing creative boundaries, exploring fresh perspectives, and redefining genre storytelling across the industry.
From award-winning filmmakers to rising writers gaining recognition through major fellowships, competitions, and development programs, the following storytellers represent an exciting cross-section of talent. While many exceptional writers are making their mark right now, these names stand out as creatives whose work continues to build momentum across film and television. Here are some of the emerging screenwriters to keep an eye on in 2026:
Los Angeles–based, Wilandrea Blair is a screenwriter dedicated to telling stories about complex women of color navigating the world with humor, resilience, and unapologetic boldness. A graduate of the American Film Institute Conservatory, her work blends emotional depth with dynamic genre storytelling.
Her feature script West Women earned the Grand Prize in the 2025 Emerging Screenwriters Action & Adventure Competition and placed as a Top 10 finalist in the Creative Screenwriting Feature Competition. With a growing list of accolades and a distinctive voice rooted in character-driven storytelling, Blair continues developing projects that celebrate strength, identity, and empowerment.
UK-based writer and filmmaker Ritchie Stonian Johnston has built a reputation for sharp, character-driven storytelling that blends genre thrills with grounded emotion and dark humor. His work often centers on flawed protagonists navigating morally complex situations under intense pressure.
Spanning feature thrillers, action-comedies, survival horror, and adult animation, Johnston’s scripts explore high-stakes worlds where personal choices carry lasting consequences. With a growing slate of projects and numerous accolades across competitions and festivals, he continues to establish himself as a versatile voice within genre storytelling.
Sarah Elizabeth Walker is a screenwriter from a small town near The Villages, Florida, whose work explores family, identity, ambition, and disability through deeply personal storytelling. A CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), Walker grew up speaking American Sign Language as her first language, an experience that strongly informs the emotional authenticity and perspective within her writing.
Her scripts have gained significant recognition across major industry programs, advancing in the Academy Nicholl Fellowship, the Austin Film Festival, and the Sundance Labs, as well as the Black List x Cassian Elwes Fellowship. In 2025, Walker was selected as a participant in the prestigious Black List Writers Lab, further cementing her reputation as a rising voice to watch.
In addition to her work as a screenwriter, Walker is a SAG-AFTRA member who trained as an actor in New York and at the Upright Citizens Brigade. Drawing from both performance and lived experience, she continues to craft character-driven stories that bring underrepresented perspectives to the screen.
New York–based writer, director, and lighting designer, Nelson Downend crafts emotionally resonant stories that explore psychological trauma and the power of human connection. His background in theatrical lighting informs a visually rich storytelling style that often blends grounded realism with subtle surrealism.
Downend’s work focuses on character-driven narratives that examine the emotional aftermath of hardship while highlighting resilience and empathy. With an impressive list of awards and a wide-ranging slate of projects, he continues developing stories that aim to resonate with audiences on both emotional and cinematic levels.
Native Californian Marni Sullivan draws inspiration from an unconventional upbringing and early involvement in the underground music scene. Growing up alongside a neuroatypical sibling sparked her fascination with the complexities of the human mind, an influence that frequently appears in her storytelling.
Sullivan began her writing career interviewing punk, industrial, and metal musicians, experiences that continue to shape the tone and energy of her characters. Today, her scripts often explore psychological tension, identity, and the darker corners of human behavior.
Originally from the Chicago suburbs, Kylie Boersma moved to Los Angeles to study film at USC and quickly immersed herself in the television industry. She currently works as a Writer’s PA on a high-profile television production and has contributed to major projects including House of the Dragon, Barbie, and PEN15.
Boersma’s writing has earned recognition across numerous competitions, including wins at ScreenCraft and placements at Roadmap Writers, Stowe Story Labs, and the Austin Film Festival. Her combination of industry experience and creative ambition continues to propel her forward as a promising voice in television and film.
Award-winning screenwriter Jack Warner is known for crafting immersive worlds populated by relentless protagonists and morally complex antagonists. His stories frequently center on strong female leads navigating extraordinary circumstances while confronting difficult ethical choices.
Working across multiple genres, Warner’s scripts blend emotional depth with high-concept storytelling. With hundreds of accolades from competitions and screenwriting organizations worldwide, he continues to build a diverse portfolio of projects designed to captivate audiences long after the final page.
Tara Price is a filmmaker and screenwriter whose work spans short films, fiction writing, and feature-length screenplays. Her psychological thriller Community Shed has gained significant recognition, being recommended on Black List and winning first place in the feature screenplay category at the Golden Script Competition in 2025.
Price has also written and directed several short films, including Tea Time and Earworm, which screened at festivals around the world. In addition to filmmaking, she has published short fiction in outlets such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Drawing from a diverse creative background, she continues developing compelling stories across multiple mediums.
Matisse Haddad is an emerging screenwriter whose work blends sharp character studies with layered psychological tension. His storytelling often explores ambition, identity, and the complicated dynamics within creative and professional relationships.
His screenplay Best Seller became one of the most talked-about projects of the year when it topped the 2025 Black List, the industry survey highlighting Hollywood’s most-liked unproduced screenplays. The script follows a struggling writer whose life unravels after a viral tell-all threatens her marriage to a famous novelist. With strong industry momentum behind him, Haddad is quickly establishing himself as a bold new voice to watch.
Ward Kamel is a Syrian filmmaker and screenwriter based in Brooklyn whose work examines power, identity, and moral compromise through high-concept dramatic storytelling. A graduate of NYU Tisch, Kamel has earned recognition as an Academy Nicholl Fellow, Sundance Fellow, and Vimeo Breakout Creator.
His feature screenplay Equity gained major industry attention when it placed among the top scripts on the 2025 Black List. The story follows a pharmaceutical founder who sells part of himself to a powerful billionaire, only to spiral into a high-stakes battle to reclaim control of his company, and his life.
With prestigious fellowships and growing industry recognition, Kamel continues to build a compelling slate of projects that combine bold ideas with grounded emotional stakes.