2024 New Play Award

Now in its fifth year, the Australian Theatre Festival NYC 2024 New Play Award will celebrate two new plays or musicals with distinct Australian voices. This the 2024 New Play Award has doubled both the winner and runner up’s cash prize with the winner receiving $15,000 USD and the runner-up receiving $5,000 USD. 

The award now offers a total cash prize of $20,000 USD for two unproduced, full-length plays or musicals written by Australian writers, over the age of 18.

Along with the cash prize, the winning play or musical will be developed with ATF Co-Artistic Director Mark Barford and presented as an elevated staged reading in New York City as part of the 2024 Australian Theatre Festival NYC.

In last year’s festival, the Australian Theatre Festival NYC showcased the 2023 winner, ‘Wavelength’ written by Sally Alrich-Smythe. Sally said, “Winning The New Play Award meant so much more than the prize money and accolades attached (though that’s unreal too!). From the first zoom call, I was struck by how much the team at Australian Theatre Festival cared about my show. They wanted the best for it, and threw everything they had at giving it a platform. And the efforts of everyone paid off: seeing my play read out by a group of exceptional actors, supported by awesome design and direction, on a stage on 42nd st in New York City. Something I’ll never forget. I’d recommend the experience to any playwright.”

To learn more about the award and entry criteria CLICK HERE 

THE AUSTRALIAN THEATRE FESTIVAL IS AN ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF AUSTRALIAN STORIES AND ARTISTS IN NEW YORK CITY.

The team aims to –

• Create opportunities for an exchange of culture through the presentation of diverse theatrical content.

• Cultivate the development of Australian artists and their work on a global stage.

• Connect Australians living in New York to foster a sense of community within a festival setting.

The Australian Theatre Festival NYC, is an annual celebration of Australian stories and artists in New York City. They create opportunities for an exchange of culture through the presentation of diverse theatrical content, cultivate the development of Australian artists and their work on a global stage, and connect Australians living in New York to foster a sense of community through a festival setting. Now in their fourth year, the Festival has presented over 20 events, with over 200 Australian in NY artists hired and over $60,000 USD prize money as a part of their New Play Award.The Festival is the only festival celebrating Australian work in New York City and is the biggest Australian Theatre Festival in the world. The Australian Theatre Festival NYC is led by Co-Artistic Directors Mark Barford, Connor Delves & Jillian Geurts.