We are delighted to announce the shortlists for the 29th Writers’ Guild Awards, to be presented by WGGB President Sandi Toksvig OBE (above), on Monday 14 February 2022 at the Royal College of Physicians in central London.
The ceremony will honour two years of British writing talent, following the cancellation of last year’s awards due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and for the first time in its history will be livestreamed to WGGB members.
WGGB President Sandi Toksvig OBE (pictured above at the 2020 awards ceremony) said: “What a fitting day to celebrate the cream of British writers – who have kept us entertained on page, stage, screen and across the airwaves, through such dark times.
“Our creative industries play such an important role, as do all those who work within them, and we hope our awards ceremony on Valentine’s Day will send this message – you matter, we care, and thank you for your words, which have lifted us all up over these past two years.”
The shortlist in 15 categories follows (in addition, a special award for outstanding contribution to writing is presented at the ceremony every year):
Best Long Form TV Drama
Adult Material by Lucy Kirkwood
I Hate Suzie by Lucy Prebble
It’s A Sin by Russell T Davies
Best Short Form TV Drama
BBW by Yolanda Mercy
Elizabeth is Missing by Andrea Gibb
Time by Jimmy McGovern
Best Long Running TV Series
Doctors, Series 21, Episode 81, ‘The Joe Pasquale Problem’ by Stephen Keyworth
Holby City, Series 21, Episode 50, ‘Kintsugi’ by Martin Jameson
River City, Series 21, Episode 28 by Jillian Mannion
Best TV Situation Comedy
Feel Good by Mae Martin and Joe Hampson
Frayed by Sarah Kendall
This Way Up, Series 2, Episode 4 by Aisling Bea
Best Children’s TV Episode
Aardman’s The Epic Adventures of Morph: Chas Air by Tim Bain
My Mum Tracy Beaker: I Want My Mum Back by Emma Reeves
Paddington & The Love Day Cards by Hannah George
Best Radio Drama
Body Horror by Lucy Catherine
The Half Widow by Avin Shah
The Tenderness of Boys by Oliver Emanuel
Best Radio Comedy
From the Oasthouse: The Alan Partridge Podcast by Steve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons
Olga Koch: Fight by Olga Koch and Charlie Dinkin
The Kurupt FM Podkast, Series 2 by Asim Chaudhry, Hugo Chegwin, Allan Mustafa and Steve Stamp
Best Writing in a Video Game
Amnesia: Rebirth by Ian Thomas
Overboard! by Jon Ingold
Röki by Emma Beeby, Sam Dickinson, Tom Jones, Alex Kanaris-Sotiriou and Danny Salfield Wadeson
Best Screenplay
I Care a Lot by J Blakeson
Sorry We Missed You by Paul Laverty
The Personal History of David Copperfield by Simon Blackwell and Armando Iannucci
Best First Screenplay
His House by Remi Weekes, from a story by Felicity Evans and Toby Venables
Promising Young Woman by Emerald Fennell
Rocks by Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson
Best Play
Once Upon a Bridge by Sonya Kelly
Shook by Samuel Bailey
The Syrian Baker by Kevin Dyer
Best Play for Young Audiences
Germ Free Adolescent by Natalie Mitchell
Heavy Weather by Lizzie Nunnery
Whatever Happened to the Jaggy Nettles? by Martin Travers
Best Musical Theatre Bookwriting
Black Love by Chinonyerem Odimba
The Prince and the Pauper by Chinonyerem Odimba
Ride by Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams
Best First Novel
A Strange and Brilliant Light by Eli Lee
The Lip by Charlie Carroll
The Manningtree Witches by A K Blakemore
Best Online Comedy
How to be Maggie: With Maggie P by Kate-Lois Elliott
Remember getting the period talk at school #Menopause by Hannah George, Taylor Glenn and Catie Wilkins
Where Did It Come From? Series 1, Episode 2, ‘The Hat’ by Ralph Jones and Vyvyan Almond
Sponsors
The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) is the lead sponsor of the Writers’ Guild Awards this year. Our other sponsors: BBC, ITV, Script Angel and Nick Hern Books.
For queries about the awards, please email awards@writersguild.org.uk
Photo: Matt Whittle
