Shortlisted nominees for the 19^th  Writers’ Guild of Ireland (WGI) Zebbie Awards have been announced today (Thursday, 9^th July) with IFTA winner and BAFTA nominee Ailbhe Keogan among the writers nominated across seven categories celebrating Irish writing for stage, screen and audio.

The awards ceremony, which will be presented by Tara Flynn, will take place at the Light House Cinema in Dublin on Thursday, September 3^rd. Voting by WGI members to select the winners went live this morning on script.ie. *See below for full list of nominees.

This year’s nominations come as the Irish screen industry continues to grow, with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland reporting a record-breaking production spend of €544 million in 2025. However, the Writers’ Guild of Ireland says writers are still not getting the fair contracts, fair payment and public recognition they deserve.

The WGI says the Zebbie Awards are an important opportunity to shine a spotlight on the writers behind Ireland’s success in film, television, theatre, radio and audio drama, and to remind the industry that no production can exist without a script.

The exceptionally high standard of Irish writing is reflected throughout this year’s nominations, with Keogan nominated in the Best TV Drama Script category for Trespasses, Episode 4. She is shortlisted alongside Mary Fox and Marty Thornton for Hidden Assets, Series 3 Episode 1, and Jo Spain for Mix Tape, Episode 1.

The Feature Film category also reflects another strong year for Irish screenwriting, with nominations for Richie Conroy for Fran the Man, Sheena Lambert for Báite and Colin Thornton and Darren Thornton for Four Mothers.

Visually impaired writers Nadine Lattimore and Lisa O’Donovan are both nominated in the Children’s & Young People’s TV category for episodes of Maddie & Triggs. In the Short Film category, Mary is Missing, written by Aisling Byrne and Caitríona Daly, was devised collaboratively with a group of intellectually disabled artists.

The Zebbie Awards celebrate the best of Irish writing in Theatre, Television Drama, Continuing Drama, Short Film, Feature Film, Radio & Audio Drama and Children’s & Young People’s Television. Only WGI members can read the nominated scripts and vote in the member-voted categories.

The WGI has also introduced two additional judged categories this year — Best Irish Language Script and Best Debut Script — which are separate from the member-voted categories announced today.

The awards are named in honour of O.Z. ‘Zebby’ Whitehead, a Broadway and Hollywood actor who was a great supporter of theatre and writing in Ireland after he moved to Dublin in 1963.

The WGI, which campaigns for rights, remuneration, more control of work and better recognition for its members, represents Irish writers for film, television, theatre, radio, animation and games. It campaigns to ensure writers are recognised as the creative force without which there is no production.

The Zebbies are grateful for the support of Screen Ireland and the Irish Copyright Licensing Agency. 

Jennifer Davidson, Chair of the Writers Guild of Ireland, said:

“Once again, we’re delighted to celebrate the extraordinary craft and talent of Irish writers through the Zebbie Awards. This year’s nominations show the range and quality of writing being created by our members across stage, screen and audio.

“At a time when the Irish screen industry is experiencing record-breaking growth, it is more important than ever that writers are properly recognised and fairly paid for the work that makes that success possible. No film, television series, play, audio drama or children’s programme can exist without the script at its heart.

“The Zebbies are an important opportunity to shine a spotlight on the brilliant creative minds behind the stories audiences love, and to remind the industry that fair contracts, fair payment and public recognition for writers must be central to any sustainable future for Irish storytelling.”

Image: Ailbhe Keogan, who is nominated in the Best TV Drama Script category for Trespasses. Image by Michael Kelly

The 2026 Zebbie Awards Nominees are:

Best Short Film Script

Mary is Missing – Aisling Byrne, Caitríona Daly
 The Knife – Joy Nesbitt
 Minding – Shannon Welby

Best Children’s & Young People’s TV Script

Maddie & Triggs, Ep149 “Dust Bunnies” – Nadine Lattimore
 The Unreal, S2 Ep1 – Rodney Lee
 Maddie & Triggs, Ep148 “Ice Cream” – Lisa O’Donovan

Best Radio & Audio Drama Script

Spooky FM: Jingle Hells – Peter Dunne
 Safe Space – Caitlin Magnall-Kearns
 Fragile Maoilíosa – Charlie McGuinness

Best Continuing Drama Script

Ros na Rún, S30 Ep27 – Peadar Cox
 Ros na Rún, S29 Ep81 – Fíona Ní Dhuibhir
 Fair City, S36 Ep25 – Senta Rich

Best Theatre Script

Dublin Gothic – Barbara Bergin
 Jigsaw – Lee Coffey
 Denouement – John Morton

Best TV Drama Script

Hidden Assets, S3 Ep1 – Mary Fox & Marty Thornton
 Trespasses, Ep4 – Ailbhe Keogan
 Mix Tape, Ep1 – Jo Spain

Best Feature Film Script

Fran the Man – Richie Conroy
 Báite – Sheena Lambert
 Four Mothers – Colin Thornton & Darren Thornton