AWGIE Awards
About the AWGIE Awards
Jan 18, 2008, 8:35am

The AWGIE Awards are the Australian Writers' Guild's annual awards for excellence in screen, television, stage and radio writing.

Presented annually since 1967, the AWGIES are unique in the industry in that they are the only writers' awards judged solely by writers, and the judging is based on the written script - the writer's intention rather than the finished product. In order to be eligible scripts must have been produced in the calendar year prior to the year of the AWGIE presentation.

An extensive list of categories ensures that every writing discipline is catered for.

Associate Members - that is members without credits, or insufficient credits to become a Full Member - are encouraged to enter the Monte Miller Memorial Award for unproduced script by and Associate Member of the Guild.

Individual AWGIE categories are judged by specialist panels of three Full Members with experience in the relevant discipline. Individual category winners in a year become eligible for the Major Award, awarded to the outstanding script of that year.

AWGIE winners over the years have included David Williamson's Gallipoli, and Travelling North; Cliff Green's Picnic at Hanging Rock; Fred Schepisi's The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith; David Parker's Malcolm; John Duigan's The Year My Voice Broke; Geoffrey Atherden's Mother and Son; John Alsop and Sue Smith's Brides of Christ, and Leaving of Liverpool; Ian David's Joh's Jury; Tony Ayres' The Long Ride, John Ruane's That Eye the Sky; Paul J. Hogan's Muriel's Wedding and Michael Rymers' Angel Baby.

The AWGIES presentation dinner has become one of the industry events of the year, and has attracted a host of prominent Guest of Honour and Guest Speakers, including: Manning Clark; Ken Hall; Fred Schepisi; Tom Keneally; Gough Whitlam; Senator Bob McMullan; the Prime Minister, Paul Keating; and H.G. Nelson with Roy Slaven.

© Copyright 2002 by Australian Writers' Guild