The winner was announced in a ceremony that took place at the @sohoplace,in front of an audience of invited guests and leading figures from the UK theatre industry this evening (9th February).
It has been announced that ‘Sapling’ by Georgina Duncan has won the 2025 Women’s Prize for Playwriting.
Produced by Ellie Keel Productions and Paines Plough, the Prize is the only national award dedicated to championing and supporting exceptional playwrights who identify as female or non-binary.
This year’s prize received 1,275 submissions which were judged by Director of the National Theatre Indhu Rubasingham (Chair); directors Milli Bhatia and Alice Hamilton; actress Romola Garai;literary agent Mel Kenyon;playwrightand screenwriter Morgan Lloyd Malcolm;Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic Nancy Medina;Literary & Development Associate at Wessex Grove Kat Pierce;the National Theatre’s Director of New Work Nina Steiger; and Guardian Editor-in-Chief Katharine Viner.
In addition, it was also announced that Kristin Scott Thomas is the winner of WPP’s inaugural Leading Light award, a lifetime achievement prize recognising a leading female in the arts industry for their enduring influence, distinguished body of work, and outstanding contribution to culture. The ceremony also featured a special monologue – written by Abi Morgan with contributions from the longlisted writers – performed by Dame Meera Syal, celebrating the legacy and continuing impact of women shaping British theatre.
Meanwhile, Ellie Keel Founder Director of the Women’s Prize for Playwriting today said, “Sapling is the rare kind of play that producers dream of discovering and audiences yearn to watch: gripping, fearless, and profoundly moving. Georgie’s writing is full of heart and vivid energy, matching its extraordinary craft in every scene. The judges’ meeting was particularly rigorous this year, reflecting the impressive standard of all our Final Five plays, which were selected from our highest number of submissions yet. These plays and writers have incredible futures on big stages and I can’t wait to follow their journeys. It’s a privilege to be at the helm of the Women’s Prize for Playwriting as we continue to grow and reach more writers, and champion the wealth of female and non-binary talent we all know is out there, but is sometimes overlooked or compromised by old-guard gatekeepers. The future for big plays by women is getting brighter all the time, but we need to keep our foot on the pedal.”
Founded in 2019, the prize has championed female and non-binary playwrights, and campaigns for their plays to be presented on national stages in the UK and Ireland. Open to English-language plays running over 60 minutes, the prize offers its First Prize winner £20,000 alongside an option for Ellie Keel Productions, Paines Plough, and Sheffield Theatres to co-produce the work. The prize is sponsored by Samuel French Ltd, a Concord Theatricals company, the official publishing partner of the prize.
Previous winners of the prize include Amy Trigg (Reasons You Should(n’t) Love Me), Ahlam (You Bury Me), and Karis Kelly (Consumed). Their plays have gone on to critical success and major productions, with Consumed recently completing a hit UK tour and sell-out run at the Traverse as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe, ahead of transfers to Lyric Belfast and Park Theatre in Spring 2026. The most recent winner, Sarah Grochala, is developing her play Intelligence with Paines Plough and Ellie Keel Productions.