Jack Thorne Honoured at Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards
The best of Britain's writing talent from the past two years was recognised at the ALCS-sponsored 29th Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards, which took place on Monday 14 February.
His Dark Materials and Help writer Jack Thorne has been honoured for his Outstanding Contribution to Writing at the 29th Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards (WGGB Awards), sponsored by ALCS.
The stage and screen writer, whose career spans two decades and has seen him pen some of the UK’s most critically-acclaimed hits including This is England, Shameless and The Virtues, was presented with the prestigious award at the illustrious awards ceremony on Monday 14 February.
On winning the award, Thorne said: “I think all writers would say that being given something from other writers is the greatest honour. I don’t think I’ve really contributed anything much in this strange career, and writing is a really strange job, but I’m grateful, and slightly anxious, to now have this award to live up to.”
Meanwhile, Killing Eve writer Emerald Fennell won Best First Screenplay for her Oscar-winning Carey Mulligan-starring debut Promising Young Woman.
The award for her black comedy psychological thriller was presented to her by Olivia Hetreed.
The ceremony, which was hosted by Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) president Sandi Toksvig and took place at the Royal College of Physicians in London, handed out awards in 16 categories including film, television, radio, theatre, comedy, books, and videogames.
Awards covered the past two years of Britain’s best writing talent, after the 2021 ceremony was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Writers behind some of the most critically acclaimed works were recognised, including Russell T Davies, Kevin Dyer, Andrea Gibb, Chinonyerem Odimba, Simon Blackwell and Armando Iannucci.
Andrea Gibb won the Best Short Form TV Drama accolade, handed to her by Vinay Patel, for BBC One’s Elizabeth is Missing; the story of an elderly woman living with dementia who struggles to piece together a double mystery.
Comedian Mae Martin and writer Joe Hampson took home the award for Best TV Situation Comedy for Feel Good, presented to them by Helen Lederer, and multi award-winning Russell T Davies won Best Long Form TV Drama for his celebrated Channel 4 drama It’s A Sin, which was presented by Neil Pearson.
Kevin Dyer won Best Play for The Syrian Baker, handed to him by Emma Reeves, with comedian Eleanor Morton presenting Chinonyerem Odimba with the Best Musical Theatre Bookwriting accolade for Black Love, the first musical to be created for Paines Plough’s Roundabout stage.
More about Jack Thorne:
Thorne’s career has seen him write extensively for TV, film, stage, and radio, winning multiple awards. His TV writing credits include Help, National Treasure, The Virtues, Kiri, The Last Panthers, Glue, The Accident, The Eddy, The Fades, Shameless, Cast Offs, This Is England ’86, This Is England ’88, This Is England ’90, and he was a core writer in the first three series of Skins. He has also written the upcoming BBC 2 film drama Then Barbara Met Alan.
Here is the full list of winners and presenters:
Outstanding Contribution to Writing
Jack Thorne
Presenter: Jane Tranter
Best Online Comedy
Remember Getting the Period Talk at School #Menopause by Hannah George, Taylor Glenn and Catie Wilkins
Presenter: Helen Lederer
Best Long Running TV Series
River City, Series 21, Episode 28 by Jillian Mannion
Presenter: Damon Alexis-Rochefort
Best Writing in a Video Game
Overboard! by Jon Ingold
Presenter: Giles Watling MP
Best Children’s TV Episode
My Mum Tracy Beaker: I want my Mum back by Emma Reeves
Presenter: Paul Chuckle
Best Radio Comedy
Olga Koch: Fight by Olga Koch and Charlie Dinkin
Presenter: Sioned Wiliam
Best Long Form TV Drama
It’s A Sin by Russell T Davies
Presenter: Neil Pearson
Best First Novel
A Strange and Brilliant Light by Eli Lee
Presenter: Sue Teddern
Best First Screenplay
Promising Young Woman by Emerald Fennell
Presenter: Olivia Hetreed
Best Radio Drama
The Half Widow by Avin Shah
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Best Play for Young Audiences
Whatever Happened to the Jaggy Nettles? by Martin Travers
Presenter: Paul Chuckle
Best Play
The Syrian Baker by Kevin Dyer
Presenter: Emma Reeves
Best Screenplay
The Personal History of David Copperfield by Simon Blackwell and Armando Iannucci
Presenter: Andrea Gibb
Best TV Situation Comedy
Feel Good by Mae Martin and Joe Hampson
Presenter: Helen Lederer
Best Short Form TV Drama
Elizabeth is Missing by Andrea Gibb
Presenter: Damon Alexis-Rochefort
Best Musical Theatre Bookwriting
Black Love by Chinonyerem Odimba
Presenter: Eleanor Morton
Find out more about the Writers’ Guild Awards
Emerald Fennell photograph copyright Matt Writtle 2022.