Writers Guild announces 2023 award winners

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain has announced the winners of its 2023 awards with Aamina Ahmad, David Edgar, Vivienne Franzmann, Rebecca Hall, Katie Hims, Adam Kay, Neil McKay, and Ben Power all picking up gongs.

The awards range across 15 categories in film, television, radio, theatre, comedy, books, and videogames.

Playwright David Edgar was presented with the prestigious Outstanding Contribution Award, saying, “I believe that every professional writer should be a member of the Writers’ Guild, and I’ve been one for 40 years. Like most playwrights, I couldn’t have sustained a career in the theatre without the terms and conditions we’ve negotiated for all playwrights, which I believe are the best in the world. It’s a huge privilege to be honoured by my union for my work as an activist and as a playwright”.

The award for Best Screenplay went to Ben Power for his German-British period spy thriller Munich – The Edge of War based on the 2017 novel Munich by Robert Harris, handed to him by fellow screenwriter and director Tony Grisoni.

Steven Moffat presented Neil McKay with the Best Short Form TV Drama accolade for his television serial Four Lives. Best Long Form TV Drama went to Adam Kay for This is Going to Hurt, a BBC medical comedy-drama based on his memoirs by the same name, starring Ben Whishaw as Kay, the award was presented by Helen Lederer and collected on his behalf by James Kay.

Maurice Gran presented Jack Rooke with the award for Best TV Situation Comedy for Big Boys, while the Best Children’s TV Episode went to Rhys Thomas and Lucy Montgomery for Dodger, Episode 9, ‘Dosh’ presented to them by YouTube comedy stars Larry and Paul, with the Best Long Running TV Series accolade going to Toby Walton for Doctors, Episode 5 ‘Hello?’ presented by last year’s Outstanding Contribution to Writing winner Jack Thorne.

WGGB Chair Lisa Holdsworth said “Congratulations to all the winners of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards 2023. It’s been a wonderful night. It’s always an honour and a pleasure to be in a room full of writers and to celebrate their work across all the mediums, for all audiences. Thank you to all the winners and nominees for your stories and your hard work. And please know that your union will always be there to support and celebrate you.”

During the ceremony WGGB Chair Lisa Holdsworth paid tribute to Kay Mellor, and WGGB Treasurer Gail Renard paid tribute to Eric Chappell, with further tributes to other WGGB members who had sadly died in the last year.

Full list of Writers’ Guild Awards 2023 Winners:

Outstanding Contribution

David Edgar

Best Online Comedy

The Room Next Door – Boris Johnson Resignation Speech by Michael Spicer

Best Long Running TV Series

Doctors, Episode 5, ‘Hello?’ By Toby Walton

Best Writing in a Video Game

Immortality, Sam Barlow, Barry Gifford, Amelia Gray and Allan Scott

Best Children’s TV Episode

Dodger, Episode 9, ‘Dosh’ by Rhys Thomas and Lucy Montgomery

Best Radio Comedy