Playwriting competitions can give emerging and established playwrights a chance to earn prize money, secure a production, receive professional development, or bring their work to the attention of theaters and literary managers. The challenge is finding reputable contests that fit your script and career stage.
Below are 17 respected playwriting contests and competitions in the United States and internationally. Before submitting, review each program’s current eligibility rules, fees, deadlines, and production-history restrictions on its official website, since requirements can change from one cycle to the next.
Playwriting competitions can provide cash awards, staged readings, workshops, publication, professional feedback, or a full production. Even a finalist placement can strengthen a playwright’s résumé and create introductions to artistic directors, literary managers, and other theater professionals. The value varies widely, however, so compare the entry fee, eligibility rules, rights requested, and actual benefits before submitting.
A prestigious name does not automatically make a competition the right fit for your play. Before paying a fee or submitting your script, evaluate the following:
Deadline: Verify the current submission window on the competition’s official website rather than relying on an older third-party listing.
Eligibility: Check residency, age, career-stage, student-status, and identity requirements.
Script requirements: Confirm that your play’s length, genre, cast size, subject matter, and production history qualify.
Benefits: Compare cash prizes, productions, staged readings, workshops, publication, feedback, and professional exposure.
Costs: Consider entry fees and any travel expenses against the realistic value of the opportunity.
Rights and reputation: Review the rights requested, exclusivity terms, judging process, previous winners, and the organization’s production history.
The National Playwrights Conference uses an open, blind submission process to select a small number of unproduced plays for development at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. Selected playwrights receive a multi-week residency, room and board, a stipend, and a playwright-led workshop with professional directors, dramaturgs, actors, and designers. The workshop culminates in two public script-in-hand readings.
Applicants do not need an agent or nomination, but they must have the right to work in the United States. The program accepts non-musical plays designed to run at least 60 minutes, but it does not develop ten-minute plays. August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Fences, and The Piano Lesson are among the notable works developed at the O’Neill. Submission dates and requirements can change, so consult the official conference page before applying.
The Many Voices Fellowship is a two-year professional-development residency for early-career Black playwrights, playwrights of color, and Indigenous playwrights. Fellows live in Minnesota and work with Playwrights’ Center staff and professional collaborators to develop new work and build industry connections.
Fellows are part-time employees who receive a salary of $25,000 per year, employee benefits, and $3,000 annually for customized play development. Applicants must be at least 18, have the legal right to work in the United States, and have no more than two plays previously produced by professional theaters. Housing and relocation expenses are not provided. Applications are currently closed but are expected to reopen in fall 2026 for the 2027–2029 fellowship cycle.
AACT NewPlayFest is a national program that develops, produces, and publishes new plays through community theaters across the United States. Selected plays receive world-premiere productions and are published in an anthology by Dramatic Publishing Company, which also makes them available for licensing for two years.
The competition accepts unpublished, non-musical, full-length plays written in English and uses a blind, multi-stage review process. For the 2028 cycle, submissions were limited to the first 350 scripts, with one entry permitted per playwright. The fee was $10 for nonmembers and waived for AACT members. That submission window closed on June 30, 2026, so playwrights should monitor the official NewPlayFest page for the next cycle.
The Woodward/Newman Award honors one unpublished play each year with a $3,000 cash prize and a full production in Constellation Stage & Screen’s Mainstage season. Housing and transportation are also provided. The $3,000 award is paid in place of royalties for the production.
There is no submission fee, and scripts are accepted on an ongoing basis. Standard full-length plays should run between 75 and 135 minutes, although shorter theater-for-young-audiences works may qualify. Plays submitted by August 31, 2027, will be considered for the 2028–2029 season. Scripts that do not win the award may still be considered for one of Constellation’s other production slots.
The Princess Grace Playwriting Fellowship supports one early-career playwright with a $15,000 unrestricted grant and a September-to-June artistic residency at New Dramatists in New York. The recipient receives access to professional collaborators, mentorship, industry advocacy, and the New Dramatists playwriting community. The winning play may also be considered for publication and licensing by Concord Theatricals.
The fellowship is open to playwrights living and legally authorized to work in the United States who have had no more than one full-length play professionally produced. Applicants submit one unpublished, original full-length play written by a single author. No nomination or application fee is required. Applications generally open in early March and close when 350 completed submissions are received, so writers should prepare their materials in advance and apply promptly.
American Blues Theater’s annual Blue Ink Award accepts worldwide submissions of original, unpublished full-length plays. The winner receives a $3,000 cash prize and an opportunity to develop the script through a staged reading at the Blue Ink Playwriting Festival in Chicago.
There is no submission fee, and each playwright may enter one manuscript per year. Plays must be written predominantly in English and may not have received a professional production or publication, although readings, workshops, and nonprofessional productions are permitted. Musicals, translations, and children’s plays are not eligible. The 2027 submission window closed on August 31, 2026, so writers should monitor the official page for the next annual cycle.
The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize is an international award recognizing outstanding English-language plays written by women and nonbinary playwrights. The winner receives $25,000, each finalist receives $5,000, and the judges may also award a $10,000 Special Commendation. Past winners include Lynn Nottage, Annie Baker, Paula Vogel, Sarah Ruhl, and Jackie Sibblies Drury.
Playwrights cannot submit their own work directly. Each year, the Prize invites artistic directors and other prominent theater professionals from designated source theaters to nominate eligible plays. A play may be unproduced or recently produced, but any premiere production generally must have occurred within the preceding year. Playwrights interested in being considered should build relationships with eligible theaters and development organizations rather than search for a public application form.
The Concord Theatricals/Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival has introduced new short plays to audiences and theater professionals for 50 festivals. In its most recent cycle, hundreds of submitted plays were narrowed to finalists who competed for publication and licensing opportunities through Concord Theatricals’ Samuel French imprint.
The festival is paused for 2026 while Concord evaluates its future direction. The organization has said it looks forward to reconnecting with playwrights in 2027, but a new submission window has not yet been announced. Writers interested in the festival should monitor Concord Theatricals for updated information before preparing an entry.
The Premiere Stages Play Festival develops new plays through professional readings, workshops, and Equity productions at Kean University in New Jersey. Four or five finalists receive public Equity readings. The winning play receives a $10,000 award and an Equity production in Premiere Stages’ 2028 season. The runner-up receives $3,000 and a 29-hour staged reading, while the remaining finalists receive $1,000 each.
The festival accepts unpublished and unproduced full-length plays with no more than eight characters from playwrights strongly affiliated with New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Delaware. Musicals, adaptations, solo shows, and scripts written or enhanced with generative AI are not eligible. For the current cycle, submissions remain open through November 1, 2026, and each playwright may submit one script.
Founded in 2008, The Papatango New Writing Prize has played a crucial role in discovering and promoting exceptional new playwrights. Dawn King, a past winner, saw her play “Foxfinder” receive a full production at a leading UK theater. The prize’s commitment to providing a professional platform for emerging playwrights contributes significantly to their recognition in the industry. The Papatango New Writing Prize remains a vital force in fostering the next generation of successful playwrights, offering them opportunities for production and showcasing.
The Br!NK New Play Festival supports emerging and established women playwrights from the Midwest through an intensive development residency. Selected playwrights spend a week working with a director, professional actors, and a dramaturg before their plays are presented as staged readings for the public.
Applicants must identify as women and live in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin. The program accepts full-length plays and permits one submission per playwright each year. The submission period for the 2027 residency closed on July 31, 2026, but playwrights who meet the eligibility requirements can watch for the next annual application window.
The Seven Devils Playwrights Conference is a two-week development program held in McCall, Idaho. Selected playwrights work with professional directors, dramaturgs, and actors to develop their scripts through rehearsals, workshops, and staged readings. Participants receive transportation, housing, access to a car, and a modest stipend, and Seven Devils does not claim any rights to their plays.
The conference accepts complete, unpublished full-length plays that have not received a professional Actors’ Equity production. International playwrights may apply, and plays can be written in any genre or style. The 2027 application period ran from August 1 through August 31, 2026, with a $13 application fee.
Presented by Philadelphia Theatre Company in partnership with the Terrence McNally Foundation, the Terrence McNally Award supports a promising early-career playwright based in Philadelphia. The selected playwright receives a $10,000 award, dramaturgical support, access to Philadelphia Theatre Company’s artistic network, career-development opportunities, and a public reading featuring professional actors and a director.
The award is now presented biennially as a two-year development program. Applications for the 2026–2027 cycle closed on June 2, 2026. Playwrights must meet the program’s Philadelphia connection and early-career eligibility requirements, so applicants should review the current guidelines when the next application period is announced.
Established in honor of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Relentless Award recognizes bold and original new work for the American stage. The American Playwriting Foundation describes it as the largest annual cash prize in American theater awarded to a playwright for a new play. The 2026 winner receives $50,000.
Eligible scripts must be unproduced full-length plays without a production commitment. Applicants must be at least 21 and meet the award’s U.S. citizenship or residency requirements. Musicals, one-act plays, children’s plays, and previously published works are not eligible. Submissions are evaluated through a blind judging process, and there is no application fee. The submission period for the 2026 award is now closed.
The Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival develops new plays that provide significant roles for college-aged performers. Each year, the festival selects five full-length plays and seven short plays for development at Southeast Missouri State University. Full-length finalists receive a $750 stipend, transportation, housing, rehearsals with a professional director and BFA actors, and a staged reading followed by an audience feedback session.
The winning full-length play receives a world-premiere production during the Dobbins Conservatory’s 2027–2028 mainstage season and consideration for publication by Concord Theatricals. Eligible scripts must be original, unpublished, and unproduced, and full-length plays must feature at least four characters between ages 15 and 30. The 2027 submission window closes October 1, 2026, or when the festival receives 400 full-length scripts. The regular full-length submission fee is $15, but students submit free, and fee waivers are available.
The Ojai Playwrights Conference is a highly regarded new-play development program held annually in California’s Ojai Valley. Selected playwrights spend two weeks working with directors, dramaturgs, professional actors, and other theater artists. The conference culminates in public readings during the New Works Festival.
Applications are open to playwrights over 18 who reside and are legally permitted to work in the United States. Submissions must be full-length plays of at least 60 minutes that have not received a full professional production. Musicals are not currently accepted. For the 2027 conference, five playwrights will be selected for workshops and public readings, while up to three additional writers will participate as writers in residence. The 2027 application period is now closed.
Produced by Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, the Boston Theater Marathon is an annual showcase of 50 new ten-minute plays performed by 50 New England theater companies. Approximately 400 scripts are considered each year through a blind evaluation process. The selected plays receive full productions during the marathon, giving playwrights exposure while building connections between writers and regional theaters.
Submissions are limited to playwrights who permanently reside or maintain a mailing address in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont. Scripts must run under ten minutes and cannot exceed ten pages, although previously produced plays and short musicals are eligible. There is no submission fee. The 2027 submission window runs from October 1 through November 1, 2026.
Reputable competitions can lead to prize money, professional development, staged readings, productions, publication, and relationships with theater professionals. The best opportunities are those that fit your script and offer benefits relevant to your career goals.
Some contests charge entry or processing fees, while others are free. Before paying, research the organization, review past winners, and confirm exactly what selected playwrights receive.
Yes. Many playwriting competitions are designed specifically for emerging or early-career playwrights. However, eligibility rules may limit applicants by location, education, production history, age, identity, or professional experience.
Usually, but each competition establishes its own rules. Check whether simultaneous submissions are allowed and promptly withdraw your script from other opportunities if you accept a production or award that makes it ineligible.
Participating in playwriting contests can be a transformative step in your artistic journey, providing opportunities for recognition, exposure, and career advancement. By carefully selecting contests that align with your artistic goals and utilizing the resources and connections they offer, you can elevate your playwriting career to new heights. Embrace the challenge, unleash your creativity, and let your unique voice resonate through the powerful medium of theater. Best of luck on your playwriting contest endeavors!
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