The Australian Writers’ Guild established the David Williamson Prize in 2013 to champion the work of Australian playwrights and the unique perspectives they reflect on Australian stages.
The prize is awarded each year to the most outstanding script selected from the winners of each of the theatre categories at the AWGIE Awards. The express purpose of the fund is to encourage theatre companies to commission, develop and program a new Australian work.
The David Williamson Prize is comprised of:
(i) a $20,000 prize awarded to the playwright of the most outstanding theatre script of the given year; and
(ii) an $80,000 grant awarded to the theatre company which staged the winning theatre script, for the purposes of commissioning, developing and staging a new Australian work.
The David Williamson Prize is made possible thanks to the generous donations of Shane and Cathryn Brennan and David and Kristin Williamson.
Previous winners
2013 – Alana Valentine for Grounded (Australian Theatre for Young People)
2014 – Andrew Bovell for The Secret River (Sydney Theatre Company)
2015 – Finegan Kruckemeyer for The Boy at the Edge of Everything (Trusty Sidekick and Seattle Children’s Theatre)
2016 – Angus Cerini for The Bleeding Tree (Sydney Theatre Company)
2017 – Leah Purcell for The Drover’s Wife (Belvoir St Theatre)
2018 – PJ Hogan for Muriel’s Wedding (Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures)
2019 – Kate Mulvany for Harp in the South (Sydney Theatre Company)
2020 – Suzie Miller for Prima Facie (Griffin Theatre Company)
2021 – Ellen Graham and Jamie Hornsby for Claire Della and the Moon (Madness of Two)
2022 – Maxine Mellor for Horizon (Playlab Theatre)
2023 – Dylan Van Den Berg for White Fella Yella Tree (Griffin Theatre Company)
2024 – Blake Erickson and Jay James Moody (Book) and Laura Murphy (music and lyrics) for The Dismissal: An Extremely Serious Musical Comedy (Squabbalogic)
Plays commissioned, developed and staged with support from the David Williamson Prize
2019 – Packer and Sons by Tommy Murphy (Belvoir St Theatre)
2020 – Wonnangatta by Angus Cerini (Sydney Theatre Company)
2021 – Playing Beattie Bow by Kate Mulvany (Sydney Theatre Company)
2023 – Jailbaby by Suzie Miller (Griffin Theatre Company)
2024 – Big Yikes! by Madeleine Border (Playlab Theatre)
2024 – Starweaver by Ellen Graham and Jamie Hornsby (Madness of Two)
Join the Australian Writers’ Guild
Become a member and access exclusive benefits and resources.