Oliver Stone to receive Writers Guild of America, West 2017 Laurel Award

The Writers Guild of America, West announced Thursday that Oliver Stone will receive the 2017 Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement as part of the guild’s award show Feb. 19.

Known as a politically minded provocateur, Stone’s work as writer and director includes “Snowden,” released earlier this year, as well as “Platoon,” “JFK,” “Nixon,” “Born On the Fourth of July,” “Natural Born Killers,” “Salvador” and “Wall Street.”

His work as a screenwriter includes “Midnight Express,” for which he earned a WGA Award along with an Academy Award and Golden Globe, as well as “8 Million Ways to Die,” “Year of the Dragon” and “Scarface.”

“Oliver Stone may be our most committed screenwriter, using an unparalleled sense of conflict and drama to define the past half-century,” said WGAW president Howard A. Rodman in a statement. “But even Stone’s most amoral characters are, in the end, like us: all too human. Stone has held a mirror up to our times, and dares us again and again to look at our nation — and ourselves — without turning away.”

Also in a statement, Stone said, “As a young screenwriter I remember seeing so many I admired graced with the Laurel Award, and I never expected I’d be considered their peer. I am most honored to accept this great award.”

Prior recipients of the Laurel Award include Elaine May, Harold Ramis, David Mamet, Tom Stoppard, Paul Mazursky and Lawrence Kasdan. It was announced earlier this week that, at its ceremony in February, the Writers Guild of America, East will honor John Waters.

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Mark.Olsen@latimes.com

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