The Women’s Prize for Playwriting

Sapling by Georgina Duncan has been announced as the winning script for The Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2025. Produced by Ellie Keel Productions and Paines Plough, the Prize is the only national award dedicated to championing and supporting exceptional playwrights who identify as female or non-binary.

The winner was announced at an awards ceremony held on 9 February 2026 at @sohoplace, in front of an audience of invited guests and leading figures from the UK theatre industry. This year’s Prize received a record-breaking 1,275 submissions which were judged by Director of the National Theatre Indhu Rubasingham (Chair); directors Milli Bhatia and Alice Hamilton; actress Romola Garai; literary agent Mel Kenyon; playwright and screenwriter Morgan Lloyd Malcolm; Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic Nancy Medina; Literary & Development Associate at Wessex Grove Kat Pierce; the National Theatre’s Director of New Work Nina Steiger; and Guardian Editor-in-Chief Katharine Viner.

Also announced today, Kristin Scott Thomas is the winner of WPP’s inaugural Leading Light award, a lifetime achievement prize recognising a leading female in the arts industry for their enduring influence, distinguished body of work, and outstanding contribution to culture. The ceremony also featured a special monologue - written by Abi Morgan with contributions from the longlisted writers - performed by Dame Meera Syal, celebrating the legacy and continuing impact of women shaping British theatre

Ellie Keel Founder Director of the Women’s Prize for Playwriting today said, “Sapling is the rare kind of play that producers dream of discovering and audiences yearn to watch: gripping, fearless, and profoundly moving. Georgie’s writing is full of heart and vivid energy, matching its extraordinary craft in every scene..”

Founded in 2019, the prize has championed female and non-binary playwrights, and campaigns for their plays to be presented on national stages in the UK and Ireland. Open to English-language plays running over 60 minutes, the prize offers its First Prize winner £20,000 alongside an option for Ellie Keel Productions, Paines Plough, and Sheffield Theatres to co-produce the work. The prize is sponsored by Samuel French Ltd, a Concord Theatricals company, the official publishing partner of the prize.

Further Information: Home - The Women's Prize for Playwriting