Variety’s ‘A Night in the Writers’ Room: Awards Season Edition’ Returns for 2026

Variety’s “A Night in the Writers’ Room” returns for its annual “Awards Season Edition” on Nov. 11 in Los Angeles. This highly anticipated event will shine a spotlight on the fall awards season’s new and returning shows, featuring the talented storytellers who bring these captivating narratives to life across drama, limited and comedy series.

The evening will feature three in-depth panels bringing together the creative geniuses behind some of the most buzzworthy shows of the season.

An invite-only audience of industry voters will attend, with a cocktail reception preceding the panel discussions.

The Comedy Series panel, moderated by Variety’s executive TV editor Michael Schneider, includes:

• Michael Patrick King, creator, director, writer and executive producer, & Lisa Kudrow, creator, writer, and executive producer – “The Comeback”
• Ben Kronengold & Rebecca Shaw, co-creator, executive producer, writer – “Adults”
• Matt Miller, showrunner, executive producer, writer – “Ride or Die”
• Michael Schur, co-showrunner, co-creator, executive producer – “DIG”

The Drama Panel, moderated by Variety’s senior entertainment writer Angelique Jackson, includes:

• Katori Hall, creator, executive producer, showrunner – “P-Valley”
• Brad Caleb Kane, creator, writer, showrunner, executive producer – “Crystal Lake”
• Elizabeth Meriwether, executive producer and creator – “Furious”
• Chris Mundy, creator, writer and executive producer – “Lanterns”
• Malcolm Spellman, creator, executive producer, writer – “The Drop: A Snowfall Saga”
• Ben Watkins, creator, writer, director, executive producer – “The Greatest”

The Limited Series panel, moderated by Variety’s senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay, includes:

• Nick Antosca, creator, showrunner, executive producer, writer – “Cape Fear”
• Silka Luisa, executive producer and showrunner – “Blade Runner 2099”
• Shawn Ryan & Eileen Myers, co-creators, co-showrunners, writers, executive producers – “American Hostage”

This year’s supporting partners include FX Networks, Hulu, Peacock, Universal Studio Group, Prime Video, MGM+, Starz, and HBO MAX. Request an invite here: variety.com/writersroom.