Playwrights Recognised at 54th Annual AWGIE Awards

On December 7, 2021 the Australian Writers’ Guild will celebrate an outstanding field of Australian screen and stage writers at the 54^th Annual AWGIE Awards.

Playwrights featured heavily in the 2021 winners’ list, taking out the top prizes, highlighting the immense contribution they make to our cultural landscape.

• Kodie Bedford won both the MAJOR AWARD and the STAGE category for Cursed!
• Wesley Enoch won the DOROTHY CRAWFORD AWARD For Outstanding Contribution to the Profession and the Industry
• Jamie Hornsby with Ellen Graham won both the THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES category and THE DAVID WILLIAMSON PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN WRITING FOR AUSTRALIAN THEATRE for Claire Della and the Moon

Since 2013, AWG President Shane Brennan and his wife Cathryn, along with David and Kristin Williamson, have presented and funded the David Williamson Prize for Excellence in Writing for Australian Theatre. The prize is awarded by the AWG each year to the most outstanding script selected from the winners of each of the theatre categories. The express purpose of the fund is to encourage theatre companies to develop a new Australian work. This evening, the winning playwright member receives $20,000 and the producing company receives $80,000 for dramaturgical and development support to nurture a new Australian work to the stage.

Over recent years, the following works have been commissioned, developed and produced with the assistance of the David Williamson Prize:

• Angus Cerini’s Wonnangatta – Sydney Theatre Company 
• Tommy Murphy’s Packer & Sons – Belvoir St Theatre 
• Kate Mulvany’s Playing Beatie Bow – Sydney Theatre Company 
• Suzie Miller’s Jailbaby – Griffin Theatre Company (currently in development and yet to be programmed)

In 2021 the winner of the David Williamson Prize was AWG member and South Australian writer, Jamie Hornsby, with his co-writer, Ellen Graham. Claire Della and the Moon is a gentle play for young audiences from the theatre company, Madness of Two. The play explores themes of mental health through music and puppetry. The $80,0000 prize for their production company will undoubtedly go a long way in helping Jamie and Ellen to devise their next work. 

Also due to the ongoing philanthropy and goodwill of Shane and Cathryn Brennan, the Australian Writers’ Guild, in partnership with Australian Plays Transform, launched the Shane & Cathryn Brennan Prize for Playwriting. Playwrights are invited to submit unproduced works for consideration across two categories, Stage and Theatre for Young Audiences. Winners will each receive $10,000 in prize money, while the shortlisted and longlisted writers in both categories will share in $40,000 of prize money. Entries close at 5pm on Monday 31 January 2022. More details are available on the AWG website.

AWG members are grateful to Shane and Cathryn Brennan for their continued support of playwrights.  

Images from Claire Della and the Moon.