Irish writers for stage, screen and radio have been recognised at the 19th Writers’ Guild of Ireland (WGI) Zebbie Awards.
The ‘Zebbies’ recognise writing across theatre, television drama, continuing drama, short film, feature film, radio and audio drama, and children’s and young people’s television.
Hosted by writer, actor and comedian Tara Flynn, the awards ceremony took place at the Light House Cinema in Dublin.
Sheena Lambert won the award for Best Feature Film Script for Báite, which she adapted from her own novel, The Lake.
Best Feature Film Script winner Sheena Lambert
Ailbhe Keogan received the Best TV Drama Script award for the final episode of Trespasses, her adaptation of Louise Kennedy’s novel of the same name.
John Morton won Best Theatre Script for Denouement.
Joy Nesbitt won Best Short Film Script for The Knife, while Rodney Lee received the Best Children’s & Young People’s TV Script award for RTÉ Jr series The Unreal.
The Best Radio & Audio Drama Script award went to Peter Dunne for Spooky FM: Jingle Hells, while Senta Rich won Best Continuing Drama Script for her work on RTÉ’s Fair City.
Two new Zebbie Awards were presented this year.
The Best Debut Script award, selected by an industry jury, went to Ciara Ní É for Claonadh (An Inclination).
Writer Ailbhe Keoghan accepts her award for Trespasses
The Best Irish Language Script award went to Sarah Gordon and Damian McCann for their feature film Aontas.
Aontas was recently selected by the Irish Film and Television Academy as Ireland’s entry for the International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards.
The Writers’ Guild of Ireland represents writers working across film, television, theatre, radio, animation and games.
The Zebbie Awards are named after O.Z. ‘Zebby’ Whitehead, a Broadway and Hollywood actor who moved to Dublin in 1963 and supported theatre and writing in Ireland.