A total of $95,000 in prize money will be handed out at the annual luncheon, which will be held Sept. 17 in the Crystal Ballroom at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

Playwright John Patrick Shanley was nominated for his screenplay to "Doubt" in the Feature Film Category. His competitors include Simon Beaufoy ("Slumdog Millionaire"), Dustin Lance Black ("Milk"), Gina Prince Bythewood ("The Secret Life of Bees"), Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon: ("Wall-E" Screenplay) and Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter: ("Wall-E" Original Story).

Since 1974, Humanitas, according to press notes, "has honored feature film and television writers whose work explores the human condition in a way which ultimately affirms the dignity of the human person and reveals our common humanity."

In a statement Wells said, "The work of these gifted writers is truly inspiring. It is not always easy to 'sell' the notion of richly drawn characters and complex stories that explore the human condition in a meaningful way, so it is our great pleasure to recognize writers who embrace that challenge and prevail."

For more information or a complete list of nominees, visit www.humanitasprize.org.