Foxtel’s high-calibre local drama slate was honoured with wins for both Wentworth and Deadline Gallipoli at the Australian Writers’ Guild Awards (AWGIE) in Sydney.
The awards recognise and reward excellence in performance writing across film, theatre and television categories. They are the only Australian awards judged solely by writers on the basis of the script.
Wentworth Season 3, Episode 3 The Governor’s Pleasure, written by Stuart Page, won the AWGIE for Television – Series, sharing the honour with Offspring Episode 511, written by Michael Lucas. Wentworth is a FremantleMedia Australia production for Foxtel and the series premieres on the SoHo channel.
Deadline Gallipoli won the AWGIE for Television Mini Series – Original, acknowledging the work of the four writers Jacquelin Perske (also script producer), Stuart Beattie, Shaun Grant and Cate Shortland. Produced by Matchbox Pictures and Full Clip for Foxtel, with support from Screen Australia, Deadline Gallipoli premiered on Foxtel’s showcase channel in April.
Foxtel head of drama Penny Win said: “The AWGIEs is a celebration of the writers at the heart of great storytelling and congratulations to all winners and nominees. The awards for the writers of Wentworth and Deadline Gallipoli are absolutely deserved and bring further prestige to both of these great Australian television dramas brought to fruition for Foxtel audiences by our valued production partnerships with FremantleMedia Australia, Matchbox Pictures and Full Clip.”
Foxtel executive director of television Brian Walsh said: “Foxtel is committed to commissioning bold and thought provoking Australian dramas for our subscribers and, as head of drama, Penny Win is driving Foxtel’s accomplishments in this genre.”
Wentworth is an international success story for Foxtel and FremantleMedia Australia. The series has been sold to 87 countries. Wentworth is back in production for its fourth season in Melbourne, where they have just finished shooting an episode written by AWGIE winner Michael Lucas. Marcia Gardner is Wentworth’s script producer and the other writers of this 12-episode season are John Ridley, Pete McTighe and Sam Winston.
2015 AWGIE Television Winners
Television Mini Series – Original
Deadline Gallipoli
Jacquelin Perske
Stuart Beattie
Shaun Grant
Cate Shortland
Television Mini Series – Adaptation
The Secret River
Jan Sardi
Mac Gudgeon
Telemovie – Original
House of Hancock
Katherine Thomson
Drama or Comedy, Other Form
The Katering Show
Kate McLennan
Television – Series (two winners)
1. Offspring: Episode 511
Michael Lucas
2. Wentworth: Series 3, The Governor’s Pleasure
Stuart Page
Television – Serial
Home and Away: Episode 6057
Louise Bowes
Comedy – Sketch or Light Entertainment
Legally Brown: Series 2
Joel Slack-Smith
Comedy – Situation or Narrative
Please Like Me: Series 2, Scroggin
Josh Thomas
Children’s Television – P (preschool)
Guess How Much I Love You: Make A Rainbow
Charlotte Rose Hamlyn
Children’s Television – C (under-14)
Skinner Boys: Festival of the Ancestors
David Witt
Interactive Media
Secrets & Lies
Stephen Irwin
Lucas Taylor
Dominic Morris
2015 SPECIAL AWARDS
Australian Writers’ Guild
2015 RICHARD LANE AWARD
For Outstanding Service and Dedication to the Australian Writers’ Guild
Tim Pye
Source: Foxtel