The Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement is a lifetime achievement award given by the Writers Guild of America West. Since its inception in 1953, it has been presented every year at the WGA Awards to a veteran screenwriter of high stature. The official description reads that it "is given to that member of the Guild who, in the opinion of the current Board of Directors, has advanced the literature of the motion picture through the years, and who has made outstanding contributions to the profession of the screen writer."