The Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG) has announced the nominees for the 47th Annual AWGIE Awards. The pre-eminence of the AWGIE Awards is unrivalled, as the only Australian awards judged exclusively by esteemed writers on the basis of the script – the writer’s intention.
The demand for first-class storytelling is ever increasing and the 2014 nominees are a testament to the fact that Australian performance writers continue to rise to the challenge with vigour and vitality, creating the stories that shape our nation.
Through the magic of drama the nominees in the Television Series and Serials categories have continued to find the extraordinary within everyday lives. These perennially popular stories of “Cops, Docs, Schools and Lawyers” have soared with nominations for Wentworth, Offspring, Puberty Blues, and Rake, as well as Home and Away and Neighbours, all introducing Australia to characters we can see ourselves in and grow alongside of, over multiple seasons.
The nominees of the Telemovie and Miniseries categories including: The Broken Shore, Jack Irish: Dead Point, The Devil’s Playground, The Code, Old School, Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch Story – have been inspired by real lives and iconic Australian stories, creating dramatic works which are respectful, captivating, thought-provoking and vibrant contributions to our literary canon.
The nominees for Feature Film Original have presented compelling raw material to reflect life in transition in the most remarkable ways, including: Cut Snake by Blake Ayshford, 52 Tuesdays by Matthew Cormack, My Mistress by Stephen Lance with Gerard Lee and Is This The Real World by Martin McKenna.
The 2014 Stage category nominees will be recorded as playwrights who looked Australia in the face and didn’t flinch at the attitudes and behaviours we all too often shy away from, in the following plays: You Are Dead. You Are Here. by Christine Evans, The Secret River by Andrew Bovell, Forget Me Not by Tom Holloway, Savages by Patricia Cornelius, and The Trouble With Harry by Lachlan Philpott.
To be recognised by your fellow writers is the highest accolade of all, and it’s what makes the AWGIE Awards special. The Nominees for the 47th Annual AWGIE Awards are:
TELEMOVIE – ADAPTATION
Jack Irish: Dead Point – Matt Cameron
The Broken Shore – Andrew Knight
TELEMOVIE – ORIGINAL
No nominees in 2014
TELEVISION MINI-SERIES – ADAPTATION
Only one nomination and the winner will be announced on the night.
TELEVISION MINI-SERIES – ORIGINAL
The Devil’s Playground – Alice Addison, Blake Ayshford, Tommy Murphy and Cate Shortland
The Code – Blake Ayshford, Shelley Birse and Justin Monjo
Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch Story – David Caesar and Samantha Winston
Old School – Matt Cameron, Belinda Chayko, Michaeley O’Brien and Paul Oliver with Gregor Jordan
TELEVISION – SERIES
Rake: Series 3 ‘Their Lordships v. Finnane’ – Peter Duncan
Offspring: Episode 411 – Michael Lucas
Rake: Series 3, Episode 5 – Andrew Knight
Puberty Blues: Series 2, Episode 3 – Tony McNamara
Wentworth: Series 2 ‘Metamorphosis’ – John Ridley
TELEVISION – SERIAL
Home and Away: Episode 5946 – Nick King
Neighbours: Episode 6744 – Stephen Vagg
Neighbours: Episode 6857 – Stephen Vagg
Neighbours: Episode 6820 – Margaret Wilson
Neighbours: Episode 6836 – Alexa Wyatt
TELEVISION – DRAMA OR COMEDY, OTHER FORM
No nominees in 2014
COMEDY – SKETCH OR LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
This Is Littleton: ‘Talent And A Head for Business’ – Amanda Brotchie with Dave O’Neil, Karl Chandler, Ronny Chieng, Melinda Cklamovska, Tegan Higginbotham, Tony Moclair, Matt Okine, Miles O’Neil, Morgana O’Reilly, Stevo Petkovic, Steen Raskopoulos, Vachel Spirason and Adele Vuko
How Green Was My Cactus – Doug Edwards and Lindy Wilson with Shane Edwards
Wednesday Night Fever: Series 1 – Mat Blackwell, Rick Kalowski, Steve Lynch, Sammy J, Ian Simmons, Joel Slack-Smith and Stephen Walsh with Richard Thorp
Legally Brown – Joel Slack-Smith and Stephen Walsh with Nazeem Hussain, Morgan Jones and Richard Thorp
COMEDY – SITUATION OR NARRATIVE
The Moodys: ‘Sean’s Day in Court’ – Patrick Brammall
The Moodys: ‘Commitments’ – Phil Lloyd with Trent O’Donnell
The Moodys: ‘Australia Day’ – Phil Lloyd with Trent O’Donnell
FEATURE FILM – ORIGINAL
Cut Snake – Blake Ayshford
52 Tuesdays – Matthew Cormack
My Mistress – Stephen Lance with Gerard Lee
Is This The Real World – Martin McKenna
FEATURE FILM – ADAPTATION
No nominees in 2014
SHORT FILM
Grey Bull – Edward Bell
She Was She – Penelope Chai
Rocketman – Phillip Enchelmaier
Baby Baby – Billie Pleffer
RADIO – ORIGINAL BROADCAST
My Life In Cookbooks – Noëlle Janaczewska
Contact – Katie Pollock
RADIO – ADAPTATION
No nominees in 2014
INTERACTIVE MEDIA
Only one nomination and the winner will be announced on the night.
ANIMATION
Buzz Bumble: ‘Best Bugs’ – Alix Beane
Get Ace: ‘Ace Gets Braced’ – Raymond Boseley
The Flamin’ Thongs: ‘Thongageddon’ – Simon Dodd and Bruce Griffiths
Tashi: ‘Tashi & The Genie’ – Sam Meikle
DOCUMENTARY – PUBLIC BROADCAST
The Boffin, the Builder and the Bombardier: ‘Hit Without Being Hit’ – John Concannon
A Woman’s Journey Into Sex – Sally McKenzie
DOCUMENTARY – CORPORATE AND TRAINING
Indigenous Cultural Awareness – Charles Hamlyn-Harris
Trial Bay Gaol Internee Cell – Charles Hamlyn-Harris
COMMUNITY AND YOUTH THEATRE
Full Circle – Maree Freeman with Stephanie Brown and Bridget Wood
Tough Beauty – Finegan Kruckemeyer
The Chosen – Lachlan Philpott
Comin’ Home Soon – Alana Valentine
STAGE
The Secret River – Andrew Bovell
Savages – Patricia Cornelius
You Are Dead. You Are Here. – Christine Evans
Forget Me Not – Tom Holloway
The Trouble with Harry – Lachlan Philpott
CHILDREN’S THEATRE
Caylee’s Ukulele – Donna Abela with songs by Jacquie Reid
Compass – Jessica Bellamy
The Grumpiest Boy in the World – Finegan Kruckemeyer
The 13-Storey Treehouse – Richard Tulloch
THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES
Storm Boy – Tom Holloway
The Violent Outburst That Drew Me To You – Finegan Kruckemeyer
CHILDREN’S TELEVISION – P
Hoopla Doopla!: ‘Snow Business’ – Kym Goldsworthy
Bananas in Pyjamas: ‘The Fast Bananas’ – Kevin Nemeth
Hoopla Doopla!: ‘Hula Hoopla’ – David Witt
CHILDREN’S TELEVISION – C
Nowhere Boys: Episode 3 – Craig Irvin
The Worst Year of My Life – Again!: ‘Match Day’ – Brendan Luno
Nowhere Boys: Episode 6 – Elise McCredie
Nowhere Boys: Episode 1 – Roger Monk
MONTE MILLER AWARD – LONG FORM
Anxiety Society – Veronica Kopinski
Vanished – Alexei Mizin and Ryan van Dijk
Three Moons – Simon Proud
Small Town – Susan Thwaites
MONTE MILLER AWARD – SHORT FORM
Paradise – Anya Beyersdorf
Love Lawn – Megan Palinkas
Some Time Later – Donovan Renn
Dust Bunny – Stuart Willis
The 2014 AWGIE Awards ceremony will be held on Friday 5 September at Doltone House – Hyde Park, Sydney. For more information, visit: www.awg.com.au for details.
Image: Don Hany, Jack Thompson and John Noble in Devil’s Playground (Production still – Matchbox Pictures)