The AWG Professional Development team generates access and opportunity for AWG members at all levels. We do this through a series of initiatives, workshops, competitions and member only events (both online and in-person).
We run several major initiatives including The Creators, Pathways, First Break and Seeding Storytellers (all in partnership with state/federal screen agency funding bodies) as well as various one-off professional development workshops.
National Competition Cycle
Our national competition cycle includes the Emerging Writers’ Awards, the John Hinde Awards, the Shane & Cathryn Brennan Prize for Playwriting and the David Williamson Prize for Excellence in Writing for Australian Theatre.
These competitions are highly regarded and provide an unmatched opportunity for writers to achieve recognition and develop their profile within the industry.
The Creators
The Creators is a career acceleration program for high-calibre, mid-career screenwriters to build toward the creation of their own shows.
Since 2023, The Creators program has provided selected screenwriters with international high-level showrunner training, project development and pitching training, equipping them to sell their stories in domestic and international arenas.
Pathways
The AWG Pathways program provides a channel for great projects from AWG members to reach industry professionals hungry for high-quality new scripts.
Access to the AWG Pathways program is currently via our competition cycle. All short-listed and winning scripts are added to the Pathways Showcase and subsequently promoted to our growing database of producers, directors and industry professionals. These competitions are highly regarded and provide an unmatched opportunity for writers to achieve recognition and develop their profile within the industry.
AWGIE Awards
The annual AWGIE Awards is our most prestigious competition. The AWGIES recognise the outstanding achievements of Australian screen, stage, interactive and audio writers, celebrating the very best produced scripts of the past year.
These major awards are judged solely by professional performance writers, based exclusively on the writer’s own vision– the script. The AWGIE Awards are attended by Australia’s stage, screen and audio writers along with representatives from broadcasting corporations, production companies, industry associations and guilds, government arts funding bodies and associated entities. The AWGIE Awards are an important event on the arts calendar and stand alongside other industry awards including the Screen Producers of Australia Awards and the Australian Directors’ Guild Awards.
Lunch Break
Lunch Break is a chance for members to catch up online with the Guild on a wide range of topics.
Each month you will also hear about the work the AWG is doing on behalf of its members, as well as upcoming initiatives, opportunities, and campaigns. AWG Members can also get exclusive access to our archive of Lunch Break videos, as well as over 25 hours of webinar content, via AWG On Demand.
AWG Script Assessment
Finally, ongoing Professional Development advice is available to members via our AWG Script Assessment program.
The AWG Script Assessment page offers professional feedback on screenplays and scripts, helping writers improve their work and advance their careers. Members have the option to select from three tiers of assessment and a range of reporting and consultation options. Australia’s leading assessors ensure a high quality of assessment and efficient turnaround.
