Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award
The International Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation
Created in 1989, The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation has its own Constitution, Officers and independent Board of Trustees.
Each year, The Foundation administers the Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award. The competition is designed to motivate non-American novice writers under the age of 30, and offer them the recognition and encouragement that might lead to a successful career in television scriptwriting. Entrants are asked to create a completed half-hour to one-hour English-language television drama script.
The award winner receives $2,500.
The 2021 Competition will open April 21 and will close June 30 (at 12:00 noon ET).
The 2020 Winner, from the UK, is Hannah Westall for her Script, Mind The Gap.
After a long obsession with storytelling of all kinds, particularly television, and achieving a First Class Honours in her BA Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies degree, Hannah realized she wanted to be a Screenwriter. She started writing in 2015, when she became Deputy Head of Comedy at the Cardiff University Student Television Station: CUTV.
After graduating, Hannah decided to undertake the MA Screenwriting program at London College of Communication. She wants to write stories for the screen that make audiences feel less alone, tackling issues such as mental health, and elevate diverse voices.
The 2020 Winner, from the UK, is Hannah Westall for her Script, Mind The Gap.
After a long obsession with storytelling of all kinds, particularly television, and achieving a First Class Honours in her BA Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies degree, Hannah realized she wanted to be a Screenwriter. She started writing in 2015, when she became Deputy Head of Comedy at the Cardiff University Student Television Station: CUTV. After graduating, Hannah decided to undertake the MA Screenwriting program at London College of Communication. She wants to write stories for the screen that make audiences feel less alone, tackling issues such as mental health, and elevate diverse voices.
The 2019 Winner, from the UK, was Violet Macdonald for her Script, The Wolf.
Violet Macdonald is an Australian/British writer living in Montreal. She grew up on the island of Tasmania, where she spent her time writing hundreds of poems and short stories, some of which would see her go on to win accolades such as the Ted Hughes Young Poets Award, the H.E. Bates Short Story Award, and the title of reigning Australian Junior Bush Poetry Champion.
She moved with her family to London in 2009, at the age of 15. After finishing her studies in English Literature and Philosophy, she became an award-winning copywriter for global marketing agencies. Violet moved to Montreal in June 2019, where she plans to pursue her dreams of creative writing full time.
Previous Ustinov Winners:
2019 - Violet Macdonald (United Kingdom) - The Wolf
2018 - Lexi Savoy (Canada) - Who Killed Heather McAdams?
2017 - Joe Brukner (Australia) - Judas
2016 - C.S. McMullen (Australia) - Living Metal
2015 - Gabriel Bergmoser (Australia) - Windmills: Leo
2014 - Caitlin D. Fryers (Canada) Fealty
2013 - Rosy Deacon (UK) Shards
2012 - Sophie Petzal (UK) Sanctioned
2011 - Robert Goldsbrough (UK) The Forge
2010 - Jason Spencer (Australia) Spirits of the Past
2009 - Claire Tonkin (Australia) Me & Mine
2008 - Jez Freedman (UK) The Storyteller
2007 - Felicity Carpenter (Australia) Touching People
2006 - Nimer Rashed (UK) The Great McGinty
2005 - John Allison (UK) Distant Relatives
2004 - Caroline Doherty (South Africa) Passion Gap
2003 - Jo Kasch (Australia) Upstream
2002 - Howard Hunt (UK) Lie of the Land
2001 - Colm Maher (Ireland) True Story
2000 - Sylke Rene Meyer (Germany) Who is Anna Walentynowicz?
1999 - Glenn Weller (Australia) Beautiful Music
1998 - Tatyana Murzakova (Russia) Smile of the King