The Shane and Cathryn Brennan Prize has been developed to discover and celebrate the best new scripts among Australian playwrights.
This hugely generous prize was the brainchild of its benefactors Shane and Cathryn Brennan. With the closure of theatres and an absence of live production opportunities during the worst of the pandemic, this prize was created to give back to playwrights during a particularly tough time. Now that audiences are now able to enjoy live theatre again – we are honoured to give this fantastic prize a second iteration.
The biennial Prize invites playwrights to submit unproduced plays across two categories:
- Stage
- Theatre for Young Audiences
The Prize caters to full and associate members. The most outstanding scripts across both categories will share in $60,000 in prize money, and their scripts will be made eligible for AWG’s prestigious Pathways for Playwrights.
Entries for the Shane and Cathryn Brennan Prize will open in 2026.
Stage Category Winners
2024 – Aurochs by Katherine Marquet
2024 – The Future is History by Steve Rodgers
2022 – Wittenoom by Mary Anne Butler
Theatre for Young Audiences Category Winners
2024 – The Incomplete Works of Willow Baker by Brendan Hogan
2022 – Ali in Zombieland by John Armstrong

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