The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. Before 1940, there was an Academy Award for Best Story for writing. For 1940, it and the award in this article were separated into two awards. Beginning with the Oscars for 1957, the two categories were combined to honor only the screenplay.
1958The Defiant Ones - Nathan E. Douglas, Harold Jacob Smith (Upon request of his widow and upon recommendation of the Writers Branch Executive Committee, the Board of Governors voted to restore the name of Nedrick Young to the nomination and award presented to Nathan E. Douglas, which was a pseudonym for Mr. Young during the blacklisting period.)
(In 1976, the category was renamed: "Screenplay written directly for the Screen - Based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced")
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