Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay

The Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay is one of the annual awards given out by Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers.

It was first presented in 1985 with Horton Foote being the first winner of the awards for The Trip to Bountiful.

The category includes both original and adapted screenplays.

Alexander Payne is the most awarded writer in the category with three wins, followed by Neal Jimenez, Gus Van Sant and Jim Taylor with two wins each.

Sofia Coppola was the first female writer to win the award.

Oliver Stone won for Platoon .
Gus Van Sant has won the award twice, for Drugstore Cowboy and My Own Private Idaho , the former with Daniel Yost.
Charles Burnett won for To Sleep with Anger .
Robert Altman won for Shortcuts with Frank Barhydt.
Christopher McQuarrie won for The Usual Suspects .
Kevin Smith won for Chasing Amy .
Alexander Payne has won this award thrice, for Election , Sideways and The Descendants , the former two with Jim Taylor and the latter with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash .
Kenneth Lonergan won for You Can Count on Me .
Christopher Nolan won for Memento .
Mike White won for The Good Girl .
Sofia Coppola won for Lost in Translation .
Jason Reitman won for Thank You for Smoking .
Tamara Jenkins won for The Savages .
John Ridley won for 12 Years a Slave .
Dan Gilroy won for Nightcrawler .
Barry Jenkins won for Moonlight .
Greta Gerwig won for Lady Bird .
Noah Baumbach won for Marriage Story .
Emerald Fennell won for Promising Young Woman .