Winners announced for Channel 4 Writing for Television Awards 2023
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Last night we were thrilled to announce the winners of the Channel 4 Writing for Television Awards 2023 at a celebration hosted in partnership with North East Screen, the North East’s regional screen agency.
Three emerging screenwriters from the North of England have been awarded Channel 4 Writing for Television Awards 2023 to support their development. Each of the writers wins a £3000 bursary and a package of money-can’t-buy opportunities, including nine-month placements with independent production companies where they will develop original scripts, and mentoring with industry professionals.
The winners are:
Harriet Ghost, from Newcastle, won the Channel 4 Writing for Television Award: Rollem Productions.
Harriet trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and her acting credits include Ken Loach and ITV projects. She has written for the stage and in 2020 was selected for BFI’s Script Lab and received mentoring from Aisling Bea through the BAFTA Connects scheme supporting women in TV and film. As part of her award, Harriet will receive a nine-month programme of mentoring and support from the Leeds-based production company, Rollem Productions (The Syndicate; Fat Friends).
Joe McNally, from Liverpool, won the Channel 4 Writing for Television Award: Bonafide Films.
Joe’s debut play ‘Cosmic’ was staged at Liverpool’s Royal Court theatre in April 2023. Joe holds a Masters in Screenwriting and is a graduate of both Liverpool’s Royal Court Stage Write Development Programme and Liverpool Everyman’s YEP writers’ programme. His award includes a nine-month placement with Bonafide Films (Mood; The Last Post), where he will develop an original script.
Liz Redwood, from Southport, won the Channel 4 Writing for Television Award: Lime Pictures.
Liz has completed the Liverpool Royal Court’s Playwright Programme and the Liverpool Everyman’s Playwrights’ Programme. In 2020 she was shortlisted for the Kenneth Brannagh New Drama Award at the Windsor Fringe Festival and the Sphinx Theatre programme for female playwrights. Her first professional production, ‘A Tipsy Christmas Fairy Tale’, was staged by Liverpool Royal Court in 2022. She will spend her placement on the production of Hollyoaks, where she will work with members of the core writing team and shadow the script development process.
The Channel 4 Writing for Television Awards were founded in 2014 as part of the Northern Writers’ Awards. They are funded by Channel 4 and produced by New Writing North. Read more about the Channel 4 Talent Development Partnership
The Northern Writers’ Awards are England’s largest and longest-running writer development programme, supported by Northumbria University, Arts Council England and a range of partners. Read more about the Northern Writers’ Awards