Playwrights Guild of Canada (PGC) proudly announces the short lists for its 2020 Tom Hendry Awards. The short lists for the Robert Beardsley Award, the RBC Emerging Playwright Award, the Sharon Enkin Plays For Young People Award, as well as the Playwrights Guild Comedy and Musical Awards, and the Carol Bolt Award have been released by their respective juries, and there are nine impressive nominees this year for the Bra d’Or Award offered by PGC’s Women’s Caucus. Join PGC throughout the week of October 25th as we host online events each night, celebrating an award per evening and announcing the winning recipients. Schedule and event details can be found here.

Bra D’Or Award – 2020 Finalists

This annual award celebrates people who amplify, honour, and support the work of women playwrights in Canada. It was inaugurated in 2006 by PGC’s Women’s Caucus, whose members put forth the yearly nominations, but all PGC members vote for the award winner. PGC is excited to announce the recipient(s) of this year’s Bra D’Or Award at the Tom Hendry Awards. The finalists are: Avery Jean Brennan, Marjorie Chan, Kara Flanagan, Heather Inglis, Thomas Morgan Jones, Anna Pappas, Caroline Russell-King, Bronwyn Steinberg, and the Wet Ink Collective’s Co-Artistic Directors, Susinn McFarlen, Loretta Seto & Lynna Goldhar Smith.

Robert Beardsley Award

The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto Foundation’s 2020 Short List

This award is to be granted to a full-time secondary or post-secondary student within the GTA for the creation of a one-act play script. JURY: Yolanda Bonnell (Chair), Julia Lederer, and Myekah Payne.

Audrey Krieger-Pottruff (ON) for Tragedy: A Comedy, 

Nam Nguyen (ON) for CAEZUS,  and

Micaela Robertson (ON) for I’ll Miss You a Little.

RBC Emerging Playwright Award – 2020 Short List

This award is given annually for the best play by a PGC-member who is an emerging playwright. JURY: Muriel Hogue (Chair), Warona Setshwaelo andYvonne Wallace.

Makram Ayache (ON) for Harun, 

Megs Calleja (BC) for Twentysomething, and

Gabe Maharjan (QC) for Eva in Rio.

Sharon Enkin Plays For Young People Award – 2020 Short List

This award is given to a new TYA play or one that has had a professional production in the last year. JURY: Pablo Felices-Luna (Chair), Maggie Mercredi, and David Woods.

Herbert Barnes (ON) for Bent Boy, 

Josh MacDonald (NS) for #IAMTHECHEESE,  and

Jared Mallard (NB) for A Year In The Stars And Rain.

Playwrights Guild Comedy Award – 2020 Short List

This award is given annually for a new comedy by a PGC-member, which has not yet had a premiere production. JURY: Jeff Pitcher (Chair), Rachel Peake, and Brie Watson.

David Paquet, Translated by Leanna Brodie (BC) for The Shoe, 

Paul Van Dyck (ON) for Siberian Summer,  and

Jamie Williams (ON) for Pinkerton Comes to Prospect.

Playwrights Guild Musical Award – 2020 Short List

This award is given annually for a new musical work by a PGC-member, which has not yet had a premiere production. JURY: Daniel Maté (Chair), Deanna Choi, and Farren Timoteo.

Sara Farb, Music & Lyrics by Britta Johnson (ON) for KELLY v. KELLY, 

Matt Murray Music & Lyrics by Colleen Dauncey & Akiva Romer-Segal  (ON) for Grow: A New Musical,  and

Molly Reisman, Book & Lyrics & Emily Chiu Book & Music (ON) for Keaton and The Whale.

Carol Bolt Award – 2020 Short List

This award is given annually for the best work by a PGC-member that has premiered in the past year. The Carol Bolt Award is in loving memory of both David and Carol Bolt. JURY: Eda Holmes (Chair), Jennifer Dawn Bishop, and Jenn Deon.

Keith Barker (ON) for This is How We Got Here, 

Emma Donoghue, Music & Lyrics by Cora Bissett & Kathryn Joseph (ON) for Room,  and

Sébastien Harrisson, Translated by Leanna Brodie (BC) for From Alaska.