'Zero Dark Thirty' screenplay among Writers Guild nominees

Director and producer Kathryn Bigelow is interviewed at the premiere of "Zero Dark Thirty" at the Dolby theatre in Hollywood, California December 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The writers of controversial Osama bin Laden thriller "Zero Dark Thirty" and of the presidential drama "Lincoln" won nominations on Friday for the Writers Guild Awards, as momentum built in Hollywood ahead of the Oscars in February.

Related: 'Lincoln' leads Golden Globe nominations

The screenplays for Iran hostage drama "Argo", cult movie "The Master", quirky comedy "Silver Linings Playbook" and shipwreck tale "Life of Pi" also won nods from the Writers Guild of America for honors either as adapted or original movie screenplays.

The field of 10 feature film screenplays was rounded out by "Flight," "Looper," Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom," and coming of age movie "The Perks of Being a Wallflower".

"Zero Dark Thirty" screenplay writer Mark Boal has come under fire from some US politicians over the film's depiction of the role torture may have played in the hunt for the al Qaeda leader, and for the origins of his source material in reconstructing the 10-year effort to track down and kill bin Laden in May 2011 by US special forces.

Related: Oscars to feature special James Bond movie tribute

The film makers have denied being leaked classified material and say the film shows that no single method was responsible for leading to the capture of bin Laden.

The Writers Guild Awards, a key indication of Hollywood sentiment ahead of the Oscars, will be handed out at simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York on February 17, one week before the February 24 Academy Awards ceremony.

Photos:

'The Legend of Zhenhuan' tops best TV drama list