The George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright was founded in 1966, named in honour of the dramatist George Devine (1910–1966), co-founder and inaugural artistic director of Royal Court Theatre.

History The George Devine Award was cofounded in 1966 by Jocelyn Herbert following George Devine's passing on 20 January 1966. Herbert was Devine's long time collaborator and colleague at Royal Court Theatre, as well as his partner since the late 1950s. A special performance was held on 13 June 1966 at The Old Vic to raise funds for the award. Its programme pamphlet sets out the fundraising target of £20,000 in order to create an annual award of at least £1,000. At the time, the award was open to "any promising or unproved playwright, director or designer". In addition to the fundraising performance, Herbert also sold Devine's records to University of Leeds's archive to acquire further funding for the award.

Today, the award is granted annually to early-career playwrights, with submissions judged by a panel made up of established playwrights, directors, and actors. As of 2025, winner of the award receives a cash prize of .

Governance Record from the Charity Commission for England and Wales showed that the award was officially registered as "George Devine Memorial Fund" in 1970, with a declaration of trust dated 18 August 1969. It was re-registered as "George Devine Memorial Award", a charitable incorporated organisation, in 2023. According to the 1966 fundraising performance pamphlet, the inaugural trustees of the fund were Herbert, alongside Neville Blond and Robin Fox. The award's current trustees include playwright and screenwriter Christopher Hampton and producer Matthew Byam Shaw.

Effect on awardees' career The award is considered to be prestigious in the British theatre industry. Diana Nneka Atuona, who won the award in 2019, credited the award's prestige with helping her attract venues willing to produce her winning play, which was eventually picked up by Donmar Warehouse. Similarly, Elinor Cook said that winning the award in 2013 "made people's ears prick up", helping her land an attachment with the National Theatre as well as a TV writing gig with BBC One.

Many of the award recipients have since achieved further successes in the theatre industry, with some also becoming prominent as writers for films and television. Mike Leigh, the winner in 1973, has since received several accolades in the film industry and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1993 Birthday Honours. Peter Cox, who won the award in 1984, was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours. Winning the award for Lift Off in 2000, Roy Williams received an OBE in the 2008 Birthday Honours and was elected as fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2018.

Past winners and nominees

2020s YearWinnerSpecial commendationShortlisted nominees2025Martha Loader, for The Town Asmara Gabrielle, for Bad Seed Yasmin Joseph, for Citizens of Umi Isla van Tricht, for The Knot2024Benjamin Kuffuor, for Working MenTemi Majekodunmi, for Positive Christopher Adams, for Progression Stella Green, for The Book of Alice Isabella Waldron, for Chatter.2023Tife Kusoro, for GAva Pickett, for 1536 Georgia Bruce, for Time, Like the Sea Sami Ibrahim, for NGO Shahid Iqbal Khan, for Djinnity Somebody Jones, for How I Learned to Swim Cordelia Lynn, for Witch Play Bea Roberts, for Those Who (Are/Were) Left Sam Ward, for Everything I'm Thinking All of the Time.2022Tyrell Williams, for Red Pitch Mojisola Adebayo, for Stars Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller, for Blood Red Apples And Deep Gold Honey Babirye Bukilwa, for The Master's House Karim Khan, for Brown Boys Swim Iman Qureshi, for The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs Francesca Martinez, for All of Us Joel Tan, for No Particular Order Ruby Thomas, for Linck & Mulhähn2021Emily White, for Atlantis Travis Alabanza, for Overflow Caroline Bird, for Red Ellen Gareth Farr, for Shandyland Sami Ibrahim, for Brick Shit House Zodwa Nyoni, for The Darkest Part of Night Lulu Raczka, for Close Your Eyes, and Think of England Tom Stuart, for Burn Baby Burn2020Daniel Ward, for The Canary and the Crow Dipo Baruwa-Etti, for When Great Trees Fall Chris Bush, for Motherland Annie Jenkins, for Staying at Stacey's Nyla Levy, for Does My Bomb Look Big In This? Charley Miles, for There are no beginnings Danusia Samal, for Out of Sorts Nina Segal, for O, Island! Temi Wilkey, for The High Table

2010s 2019 - Diana Nneka Atuona, for The Boy from Tiger Bay 2018 - Simon Longman, for Gundog 2017 - Not awarded 2016 - Theresa Ikoko, for Girls; and Jane Upton, for All the Little Lights 2015 - Charlene James, for Cuttin' It 2014 - Alice Birch, for Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.; and Rory Mullarkey, for The Wolf From the Door 2013 - Elinor Cook, for Pilgrims 2012 - Tom Wells, for Kitchen Sink 2011 - Penelope Skinner, for The Village Bike 2010 - Vivienne Franzmann, for Mogadishu

2000s

2009 - Nick Payne, for If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet 2008 - Hassan Abdulrazzak, for Baghdad Wedding 2007 - Alexandra Wood, for The Eleventh Capital 2006 - Lucy Caldwell, for Leaves 2005 - Stuart Carolan, for Defender of the Faith; and Laura Wade, for Breathing Corpses 2004 - Lucy Prebble, for The Sugar Syndrome 2003 - Ché Walker, for Flesh Wound 2002 - Richard Bean, for Under the Whaleback; and Gary Owen, for The Drowned World 2001 - Leo Butler, for Redundant 2000 - Roy Williams , for Lift Off; and Gary Mitchell, for The Force of Change

1990s 1999 - Rebecca Gilman, for The Glory of Living; and Mark O'Rowe, for Howie the Rookie 1998 - Helen Blakeman, for Caravan 1997 - Conor McPherson, for St Nicholas; and Enda Walsh, for Disco Pigs 1996 - Martin McDonagh, for Beauty Queen of Leenane 1995 - Jez Butterworth, for Mojo 1994 - Judy Upton, for Ashes and Sand 1993 - Nicola Baldwin, for Confetti, and Jonathan Harvey, for Babies 1992 - James Stock, for Blue Night In The Heart Of The West 1991 - Winsome Pinnock, for Leave Taking 1990 - Billy Roche, for Poor Beast In The Rain

1980s

1989 - Christina Reid, for The Belle of Belfast City 1988 - Nick Ward, for Apart from George 1987 - Charlotte Keatley, for My Mother Said I Never Should 1986 - Anne Devlin, for Ourselves Alone; and Jim Cartwright, for Road 1985 - 1984 - Peter Cox , for Up to the Sun and Down to the Centre 1983 - 1982 - Louise Page, for Salonika; and Sarah Daniels, for Neaptide 1981 - Andrea Dunbar, for The Arbor ; Hanif Kureishi, for Outskirts and Borderline; and Michael Wilcox, for Accounts 1980 - Jonathan Gems, for The Tax Exile

1970s

1979 - Nick Darke, for Never Say Rabbit in a Boat 1978 - Nick Wright, for Treetops; and Ron Hutchinson 1977 - Stephen Lowe, for Touched; and Robert Holman, for German Skerries 1976 - 1975 - 1974 - 1973 - Mike Leigh 1972 - Wilson John Haire, for Within Two Shadows; David Williamson, for The Removalists; Mustapha Matura, for As Time Goes By; and Michael Abbensetts, for Sweet Talk 1971 - Heathcote Williams, for AC/DC; and Ted Whitehead, for The Foursome 1970 - Donald Howarth and John Antrobus

1960s

1969 - 1968 - Edward Bond and Peter Gill

See also Alfred Fagon Award Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Windham-Campbell Prize Black British Theatre Awards Laurence Olivier Awards

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