MTV awards: Hollywood stars stand with striking writers at pre-recorded ceremony

Jennifer Coolidge plays Tanya McQuoid in the satirical dark comedy show, The White Lotus

Hollywood stars including Jennifer Coolidge and Pedro Pascal paid tribute to striking writers in their acceptance speeches at the MTV Movie & TV Awards.

A pre-recorded ceremony was broadcast after the live event was cancelled at the last minute amid the first major writers' strike in 15 years.

Writers started the action last week, calling for better pay and working conditions in the streaming era.

The White Lotus star Coolidge said she stood "side by side" with them.

While accepting the comedic genius award on Sunday, she said they were "fighting for the rights of artists everywhere".

"You know, almost all great comedy starts with great writers," she said in a video message.

"As a proud member of SAG [Screen Actors Guild], I stand here before you tonight, side by side with my sisters and brothers from the WGA [Writers Guild of America], that are fighting right now, fighting for the rights of artists everywhere."

The WGA had said it had planned to picket the event on Sunday in Santa Monica, California, before the glitzy live show was scrapped in favour of a more muted affair.

Show bosses said they did so in order to "carefully navigate how best to deliver the fan first awards show we envisioned".

The Last of Us star Pascal also acknowledged those "fighting very hard" for fair wages, as he accepted his third award of the evening.

The zombie drama, written by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, won best TV show while earlier, Pascal and co-star Bella Ramsey picked up best duo.

"Craig and Neil can't be here," Pascal said. "We are all standing in solidarity with the WGA that is fighting very hard for fair wages. We thank you, we love you."

Pedro Pascal plays Joel in the post-apocalyptic TV drama series, The Last of Us

The writers' strike began last week when more than 11,000 members of the WGA downed tools after talks with major studios broke down.

The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show and a greater share of the royalties for shows that can now appear on streaming platforms for many years, as well as assurances around the use of artificial intelligence.

Late night comedy talk shows were the first to go off the air without their writers, and picket lines were formed outside studios and offices belonging to the likes of Disney, Netflix and Paramount.

On Sunday, British actor Joseph Quinn also paid tribute to the writers as he collected the prize for best breakthrough performance.

Quinn, who plays Eddie Munson in Stranger Things, said: "I don't think that people would connect with a character like Eddie or others in the Stranger Things universe without compassionate, intelligent, quality writing.

"Being a writer is a hard job," he added. "It deserves respect.

"If we respect each other, we can cultivate a kinder, more inclusive, more collaborative environment for everyone - that'd be nice."

On the night, the event's top prize for best movie went to the slasher film Scream VI, while Tom Cruise was awarded best performance in a movie for Top Gun: Maverick.

Drew Barrymore had been scheduled to present the ceremony before pulling out in a similar show of solidarity.

She did however appear in several pre-recorded sketches, parodying movies like Barbie and Cocaine Bear, and was also named as the winner of the best host award for The Drew Barrymore Show.

Check out the full list of winners.