About 200 writers filled the dimly lit Opera House in downtown Toronto earlier this month to celebrate the best in Canadian screenwriting and salute the winners of the first-ever WGC Top Ten Awards.

Unlike traditional awards shows hosts, Suzette Couture and Steve Smith had their own unique and amusing way of passing out the sculpted clay trophies, which so far remain nameless.

In preparation for the event, jurors read 84 scripts, narrowed them down to 25 semi-finalists, and from those selected the top 10.

The names of finalists were stuffed in envelopes and attached to a wheel – the kind you would find at a charity casino – enabling the hosts to announce the winners and distribute the awards in random order.

Writers Guild of Canada director Maureen Parker took the first spin, landing on Pete White, who won for the tv movie Legend of the Ruby Silver (Silver Productions).

Next up were Alan Resnick, Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer, Greg Thomey, Mary Walsh, Paul Bellini and Ed MacDonald for an episode of Salter Street’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

The third spin brought author William Coneybeare to the stage to accept his award for Kratt’s Creatures ‘Big Five, Little Five’ (Paragon Entertainment).

Susin Nielsen won award number four for Madison ‘Home is Where the Sharpes Is’ (Forefront Entertainment).

Janis Cole picked up an award for the cbc tv movie Dangerous Offender, while Dennis Foon won for the mow Little Criminals, also cbc.

The Newsroom ‘Dinner at Eight’ (cbc) scored a win for author Ken Finkleman, who when asked how he felt about the show ending after one season responded by nodding his head, spinning the wheel and walking off the stage.

Andrew Rai Berzins won award number eight for Straight Up ‘Jam’ (Alliance/Back Alley Film Productions).

Ed Riche, Mack Furlong and Steve Palmer picked up their win for the CBC Radio comedy The Great Eastern ‘University of the Future.’

The final award of the evening went to Margaret Hollingsworth for her CBC Radio drama The Prince and Rita MacNeil.