A cross-sector partnership between Bruntwood, the Oglesby Charitable Trust and the Royal Exchange Theatre, the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting was founded from a shared belief in the importance of discovering new stories, supporting playwrights and championing world-class artistry in Manchester and beyond.

At the heart of the Prize is the principle that anyone and everyone can enter – it is entirely anonymous, and scripts are judged purely based on the work alone and with no knowledge of the identity of the playwright.

To enter:

  • you can only submit one entry per person and plays co-authored by more than one writer
  • you must be 16 years old or over
  • you must not have won an award in any previous round of the prize
  • you must exclusively own and control all rights to the script
  • the play must be an original, unperformed, and unproduced piece of work & available for production and unattached to any other theatre or company
  • the play must be more than a hour in playing time & written for the stage
  • the play cannot be a translation, adaptation or musical
  • entrants must be a resident in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, British Overseas Territory or have a British Forces Post Office Address
  • apply through our international partners to be eligible for the International Award
  • must be based in the North West of England and not had a full length play professionally produced for 12 performances or more in a venue to be eligible for The North West Original New Voice Award & Residency

The deadline for submission to the 2025 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting closed on 9 January 2025.