The Writers’ Guild is delighted to announce a new category in our annual Awards, which take place on 15 January 2018 in central London.
The Best Online Comedy Award will recognise the funniest scripted content on the web.
The prestigious Writers’ Guild Awards – which have been celebrating writers and writing since they launched in 1961 – are already among the most prominent in the comedy world, with the genre being represented across individual TV and radio categories.
The 2017 ceremony saw Phoebe Waller-Bridge win the Best TV Situation Comedy Award for Fleabag, while John Finnemore took home the Best Radio Comedy Award for Double Acts.
Dave Cohen, Chair of the newly-formed WGGB Comedy Committee (pictured above), said: “Comedy writers continue to innovate and face the challenges of writing for TV and radio in creative ways, but in the last couple of years there has been a massive improvement in the quality of writing online.
“With the BBC already creating content exclusively for the web, and other large companies showing a keen interest in the development of online shows, now is the time to recognise the success of the short format sketch and mini-series. It doesn’t matter where you watch and what technology you use, behind every great show you’ll always find great writers.”
Nominations are open until midnight on Friday 6 October 2017. To qualify, the nominated work must be a scripted comedy production of 10 minutes or less featured on the British Comedy Guide or Chortle websites between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017. Sketches, mini-series, sitcoms and animations are eligible. The following are not eligible: stand-up, wholly improvised shows, trailers, prank shows, audio-only shows or shows that rely on interaction with the general public. Nominations must be made via the online form.
Full information about the Writers’ Guild Awards, including photos, a history and archive of all winners since 1961, plus details of this year’s other categories, can be found in the Awards section of this website.
Photo: Em Fitzgerald
