Women’s Prize for Playwriting opens 2025 submissions and announces new Sheffield Theatres partnership

The Women’s Prize for Playwriting will return in 2025, offering its largest-ever first prize of £20,000. Produced by Ellie Keel and Paines Plough, the Prize continues to support female and non-binary playwrights while campaigning for greater representation on UK and Irish stages.

This year marks the first partnership with Sheffield Theatres, which will have the option to co-produce the winning play. The Prize is open to full-length plays written in English, with the first prize awarded in respect of an option agreement with Ellie Keel Productions, Paines Plough, and Sheffield Theatres. Submissions open on 13 January 2025 and close on 22 April.

The judging panel, chaired by Indhu Rubasingham, includes Emily Vaughan-Barratt, Milli Bhatia, Alice Hamilton, Romola Garai, Mel Kenyon, Nancy Medina, Nina Steiger, and Katharine Viner. The winner will be announced in autumn 2025.

Sheffield Theatres’ incoming artistic director Elizabeth Newman said today: “I am thrilled we are becoming the Theatre Partner of the Women’s Prize for Playwriting. Sheffield Theatres has a long-standing reputation for being committed to producing exceptional new work and, as I begin my tenure as artistic director, I want to make it clear that we will continue this mission and develop our reputation of being an exciting place that fosters exceptional talent. As we begin to write the next chapter for Sheffield Theatres, we will focus on discovering, developing, and celebrating outstanding new plays written by women and non-binary playwrights.

“Being part of the Prize offers us the opportunity to play a crucial role in addressing gender disparities in theatre by offering tangible support and recognition to those whose voices have been historically marginalised. Furthermore, and importantly, we aim to produce the winning play at Sheffield Theatres because, to make a lasting difference to the momentum of a writer’s career (and to raise the profile of women and non-binary playwrights), plays need to be put to an audience. This is the best way for a dramatist to learn and grow. The Women’s Prize led by Ellie, Katie and Charlotte has achieved incredible things since it was launched and I cannot wait for Sheffield Theatres to join this incredible endeavour. I am also very excited to share news soon of our first co-production.”

More information about the Prize and submission guidelines is available via the company’s website