The 16th Writers’ Guild of Ireland Zebbie Awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, 17^th October at The Sugar Club, hosted once again by Tara Flynn.

The Writers’ Guild of Ireland celebrates the best writers of exceptional work in Theatre, Television Drama, Continuing Drama, Short Film, Feature Film, Radio and Animation.

The nominees for this year’s awards are; 

Best TV Drama Script

• Bad Sisters Series 1 – Episode 1 The Prick – Sharon Horgan
• Derry Girls Series 3 – Episode 7 The Agreement – Lisa McGee
• Conversations with Friends – Episode 9 – Mark O’Halloran

Best Feature Film Script

• An Cailín Ciúin – Colm Bairéad
• Aisha – Frank Berry
• Lakelands – Robert Higgins & Patrick McGivney

Best Animation Script

• Monster Loving Maniacs – Episode 6 Jump Scares – Sian Ní Mhuirí 
• Fia’s Fairies – The Little Lost Gráinneog – Jody O’Neill
• Best & Bester – Episode 1 The Trivialist Pursuit – Amy Stephenson & Shane Langan

Best Short Film Script

• Wednesday’s Child – Caroline Harvey
• Lambing – Katie McNeice
• Lamb – Sinéad O’Loughlin

Best Radio Drama Script

• Morning Coffee – Dermot Bolger
• Eggsistentialism – Joanne Ryan
• Skewed – Sarah-Jane Scott

Best Theatre Script

• The Asylum Workshop – Colin Murphy
• Heaven – Eugene O’Brien
• Lie Low – Ciara Elizabeth Smyth

Best Continuing Drama Script

• Fair City Series 33 – Episode 106 – Carmel Callan
• Fair City Series 33 – Episode 31 – Maria Hickey
• Fair City Series 33 – Episode 108 – Thomas McLaughlin

In light of the recent Writers Guild of America strike over issues relating to pay, recognition and the use of generative AI, Jennifer Davidson, Chair of the Writers’ Guild of Ireland, said:

“As writers, we’re lucky in that we get to do the thing that we love for a living. But making a living out of the thing you love is also a dangerous place to be.

“Because if you love it, then the perception is often that it’s not really work, and that you don’t actually deserve to get paid or recognised properly for it.

“Then we see Irish film festivals not mentioning the writers of films that win their awards, producers asking us to waive our rights under the European Copyright Directive, and RTÉ unable to properly fund new Irish drama while spending huge money on ‘talent’ salaries.

“And in the US, our fellow writers have been on strike … because their employers like Disney, Netflix and Amazon are refusing to pay them fairly.

“At the Writers’ Guild of Ireland, we are incredibly proud of the work that our members do. It is our privilege to hold the annual Zebbie Awards to recognise and celebrate the best writing for stage, screen and radio across seven categories.

“This year, more than ever, we want to celebrate the talent of Irish writers and remind everyone of the brilliant creative minds behind your favourite films, plays, radio dramas and TV shows.”

The WGI gratefully acknowledges the generous support of both the ICLA and Coimisiún na Meán.