Susan Smith Blackburn Award

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize established in 1978, is the largest and oldest playwriting prize for women+ writing for English-speaking theatre. Named for Susan Smith Blackburn (1935–1977), alumna of Smith College, who died of breast cancer.

Winners

* 1978–79 Mary O'Malley
* 1979–80 Barbara Schneider, for ''Details Without a Map''
* 1980–81 Wendy Kesselman
* 1981–82 Nell Dunn
* 1982–83 Marsha Norman
* 1983–84 Caryl Churchill
* 1984–86 Shirley Gee
* 1986–86 Anne Devlin
* 1986–87 Mary Gallagher
* 1986–87 Ellen McLaughlin
* 1987–88 Caryl Churchill
* 1988–89 Wendy Wasserstein
* 1989–90 Lucy Gannon
* 1990–91 Rona Munro; Cheryl West
* 1991–92 Timberlake Wertenbaker
* 1992–93 Marlane Meyer
* 1993–94 Jane Coles
* 1994–95 Susan Miller; Kristine Thatcher; Naomi Wallace
* 1995–96 Naomi Wallace
* 1996–97 Marina Carr
* 1997–98 Moira Buffini
* 1997–98 Paula Vogel
* 1998–99 Jessica Goldberg
* 1999–00 Bridget Carpenter
* 2000–01 Charlotte Jones
* 2001–02 Gina Gionfriddo
* 2001–02 Susan Miller
* 2002–03 Dael Orlandersmith
* 2003–04 Sarah Ruhl
* 2004–05 Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti
* 2005–06 Amelia Bullmore for ''Mammals'', Elizabeth Kuti for ''The Sugar Wife''
* 2006–07 Lucy Caldwell for ''Leaves'', Sheila Callaghan for ''Dead City'', Stella Feehily for ''O Go My Man'', Abbie Spallen for ''Pumpgirl''
* 2007–08 Judith Thompson for ''Palace of the End''
* 2008–09 Chloë Moss for ''This Wide Night''
*2009–2010 Julia Cho for ''The Language Archive''
* 2010–11 Katori Hall for ''Hurt Village''
* 2011–12 Jennifer Haley for ''The Nether''
* 2012–13 Annie Baker for ''The Flick''
* 2013–14 Lucy Kirkwood for '' Chimerica''
* 2014–15 Tena Stivicic for ''Three Winters''
* 2015–16 Lynn Nottage for ''Sweat''
* 2016–17 Clare Barron for '' Dance Nation''
* 2017–18 Alice Birch for '' Anatomy of a Suicide''
* 2018–19 Jackie Sibblies Drury for '' Fairview''
* 2019–20 Lucy Prebble for ''A Very Expensive Poison''
* 2020–21 Erika Dickerson-Despenza for ''cullud wattah''
* 2021–22 Benedict Lombe for ''Lava''
* 2022–23 Sarah Mantell for '' In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot''
* 2023–24 Ava Pickett for ''1536''
* 2024–25 ak payne for "Furlough's Paradise"

Special Commendation

*Judith Adams 1998–99†
*Leslie Ayvazian 1995–96†
*Lesley Bruce 1993–94†
*Caryl Churchill 1982–83†
*Migdalia Cruz 1990–91†
*Joanna McClelland Glass 1980–81 †
*Zinnie Harris 2000–01†
*Justice Hehir 2023–24
*Beth Henley 1979–80†
* Julie Hebert 1998–99†
*Beth Henley 1979–80†
*Naomi Iizuka 2000–01†
*Julia Jordan 2001–02†
* Elizabeth Kuti 1999-00†
* Joanna Laurens 2000–01†
*Bryony Lavery 2002–03†
*Kimber Lee 2020–21
*Lisa Loomer 1993–94†
*Sharman MacDonald 1984–85†
*Chloe Moss 2004–05†
*Phyllis Nagy 1995–96†
*Ife Olujobi 2020–21
* Dael Orlandersmith 1999-00†
*Winsome Pinnock 1989–90†
*Jenny Schwartz 2007–08†
*Lynn Siefert 1983–84†, 1991–92†
*Timberlake Wertenbaker 1988–89†

Finalists

* Judith Adams 1997–98, 1998–99†, 2000–01
*Kay Adshead 1987–88, 2001–02, 2005–06
*Rukhsana Ahmad 2001–02
*Claudia Allen 2002–03
*Hanan al-Shaykh 1996–97
*Jane Anderson 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93†
*Chiara Atik 2021–22
*Leslie Ayvazian 1995–96†, 2004–05
* Nicola Baldwin 1993–94, 1999–00
*Clare Barron 2014–15
*Lynda Barry 1991–92
*Neena Beber 2003–04
* Hilary Bell 1998–99
*Hilary Bettis 2018–19
*Jean Betts 2003–04
* Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti 2004–05*
*Alice Birch 2014–15
*Caroline Bird 2013–14
*Alecky Blythe 2014–15
*Clara Brennan 2014–15
*Linda Brogan 2007–08
*Tina Brown 1978–79
*Lesley Bruce 1993–94†
*Moira Buffini 1992–93, 1997–98*
*Katherine Burger 1996–97
*Mary Elizabeth Burke-Kennedy 1984–85
* Sarah Burgess 2015–16
*Kathleen Cahill 1984–85
*Lucy Caldwell 2006–07
*Sheila Callaghan 2006–07
*Jo Carson 1989–90
*Katherine Chandler 2014–15
* Anupama Chandrasekhar 2008–09, 2022–23
*Glace Chase 2020–21
*Julia Cho 2001–02, 2006–07
*Caryl Churchill 1979–80, 1982–83†, 1983–84*, 1987–88*
*Paula Cizmar 1981–82†, 1982–83
*Kathleen Clark 1987–88
*Pearl Cleage 1983–84, 1993–94, 1995–96
*Sara Clifford 1998–99
*Lin Coghlan 2003–04
*Kathleen Collins 1982–83, 1986–87
*Sherry Coman 1990–91
*Anne Commire 1988–89
*Constance Congdon 1985–86, 1995–96
*Trista Conger 1988–89
*Roxy Cook 2023–24
*Elinor Cook 2017–18
*Helen Cooper 1984–85, 1986–87, 2002–03
*Zoe Cooper 2019–2020
* Kia Corthron 1997–98
*Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig 2014–15, 2019–2020
*Migdalia Cruz 1990–91†, 1996–97
*Alexandra Cunningham 2000–01
*Leigh Curran 1978–79
*Rachel Cusk 2015–16
*Barbara Damashek 1987–88
*Lisa D'Amour 2014–2015
*Francisca Da Silveira 2022–23
*April De Angelis 2005–06, 2023–24
*Daniella De Jesús 2021–22
*Donna de Matteo 1982–83
*Sarah DeLappe 2015–16
*Christian de Lancie 1993–94
*Ruby Dee 1993–94
*Dolly Dhingra 1999-00
*Lydia Diamond 2007–08
*Ann Marie Di Mambro 1994–95
* Elizabeth Diggs 1981–82, 1987–88†
*Nancy Donohue 1979–80
*Katie Douglas 2006–07
*Bathsheba Doran 2005–06
*Fiona Doyle 2017–18
*Rosalyn Drexler 1983–84
*Carol Ann Duffy 1982–83
*Susan Dworkin 1980–81
*Helen Edmundson 1993–94
*Margaret Edson 1993–94
*Elizabeth Egloff 1995–96, 1996–97
*Charlotte Eilenberg 2002–03
*Eve Ensler 1998–99, 2000–01
*Nancy Ewing 2000–01
*Stella Feehily 2006–07
*Lindsey Ferrentino 2014–15
*Barbara Field 1982–83, 1988–89
*Susan Flakes 1996–97
*Kate Fodor 2002–03
*Maria Irene Fornes 1985–86, 1987–88
*Amy Fox 2006–07
*Donna Franceschild 1989–90
*J.E. Franklin 1981–82, 1989–90, 1992–93
*Amy Freed 1993–94, 2001–02
*Mary Gallagher 1979–80, 1986–87*, 1989–90
*Lucy Gannon 1988–89, 1989–90*
*Lillian Garrett 1989–90
*Nancy Fales Garrett 1982–83
*Judy GeBauer 1987–88
*Shirley Gee 1983–84, 1984–85*, 1989–90
*Pam Gems 1978–79, 1985–86, 1996–97†
*Alexandra Gersten 2002–03
*Melissa James Gibson 2005–06
*Rebecca Gilman 1998–99, 1999–00, 2004–05
*Joanna McClelland Glass 1978–79, 1980–81 †, 1983–84, 2004–05
*Sue Glover 1991–92
*Debbie Tucker Green 2002–03, 2005–06, 2018–19
*Linda Marshall Griffiths 2005–06
*Rinne Groff 2002–03
*Miranda Rose Hall 2020–21
*Maryam Hamidi 2022–23
*Sarah Hanly 2021–22
*Nikki Harmon 1988–89
*Aleshea Harris 2017–18
*Zinnie Harris 2000–01†, 2003–04, 2016–17
*Valerie Harris 1978–79
*Karen Hartman 2022–23
*Catherine Hayes 1981–82
*Beth Henley 1979–80†, 1987–88, 2005–06
*Amy Herzog 2016–17
*Ella Hickson 2018–19
*Jacqueline Holborough 1987–88
* Sam Holcroft 2015–16
* Endesha Ida Mae Holland 1992–93
*Katie Holly 2022–23
*Debbie Horsfield 1984–85
*Velina Hasu Houston 1985–86
* Zora Howard 2021–22
*Tina Howe 1979–80, 1983–84, 1997–98
*Rianna Ilube 2023–24
*Charlene James 2016–17
*Noelle Janaczewska 1997–98
*Lenka Janiurek 1978–79
*Ann Jellicoe 1980–81
*Catherine Johnson 1991–92
*Cindy Lou Johnson 1984–85, 1986–87
*Jennifer Johnston 1996–97
*Jasmine Naziha Jones 2023–24
*Marie Jones 1999-00
*Anna Jordan 2015–16
*Julia Jordan 1996–97, 2001–02†, 2006–07
*Yazmine Judd 1998–99
*C. Michèle Kaplan 2006–07
*Shirley Kaplan 1981–82
*Julia Kearsley 1980–81, 1982–83
*Margaret Keilstrup 1981–82
*Sonya Kelly 2021–22
*Adrienne Kennedy 1990–91
*Wendy Kesselman 1980–81*, 1989–90
*Anchuli Felicia King 2019–2020
*Dawn King 2020–21
*Carson Kreitzer 2003–04
*Gail Kriegel 1983–84
*Casey Kurtti 1987–88
*Oni Faida Lampley 2005–06
*Mary Lathrop 1991–92
* Shirley Lauro 1980–81, 1991–92
*Bryony Lavery 1980–81, 2002–03†, 2004–05, 2007–08
*Maureen Lawrence 1990–91, 1994–95
*Barbara Lebow 1985–86, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98
*Kimber Lee 2019–2020, 2020–21, 2022–23
*Young Jean Lee 2009–10
*Rebecca Lenkiewicz 2004–05
*Nell Leyshon 2006–07
*Alex Lin 2023–24
*Liz Lochhead 1998–99
*Rosie Logan 1986–87
*Lisa Loomer 1993–94†, 2003–04
*Claire Luckham 1991–92
*Anne Ludlum 2002–03
*Sharman MacDonald 1984–85†, 1990–91, 1995–96
*Carol Mack 1982–83
*Martyna Majok 2018–19
*Emily Mann 1981–82, 1984–85, 1996–97, 1999–00
*Melanie Marnich 2004–05
*Nicola McCartney 1997–98
*Mia McCullough 2004–05
*Heather McDonald 2002–03
*Lisa McGee 2007–08†
*Anne McGravie 1984–85
*Grace McKeaney 1981–82
*Ellen McLaughlin 1986–87*, 1989–90
*Linda McLean 2007–08
*Jenny McLeod 1999-00
*Clare Mclntyre 1992–93
* Cassandra Medley 1988–89
*Charley Miles 2016–17
*Susan Miller 1979–80, 1988–89, 1994–95§, 2001–02*
*Lois Meredith 1993–94
*Marlane Meyer 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1992–93*
*Ann Mitchell 1981–82
*Lenelle Moïse 2023–24
*Abi Morgan 2003–04
*Dominique Morisseau 2015–16, 2016–17, 2019–2020
*Hannah Moscovitch 2023–24
*Lavonne Mueller 1980–81, 1986–87
* Philomena Muinzer 1979–80
* Colleen Murphy 2017–18
*Melissa Murray 1985–86, 1986–87
*Joanna Murray-Smith 2021–22
*Julie Marie Myatt 2007–08
*Sally Nemeth 1994–95
*Ann Noble 2003–04
*Marsha Norman 1978–79†, 1982–83*, 1983–84
*Lynn Nottage 1997–98
*Lizzie Nunnery 2016–17
* Antoinette Nwandu 2017–18
* Zodwa Nyoni 2014–15
*Meredith Oakes 2000–01
*Kira Obolensky 1998–99, 2005–06
*Edna O'Brien 1979–80
*Tamsin Oglesby 1995–96, 2006–07
* Janice Okoh 2020–21
*Ife Olujobi 2020–21†
*Mary O'Malley 1978–79*, 1985–86†
*Lily Padilla 2018–19
*Louise Page 1982–83, 1984–85
*Jihae Park 2020–21
*Suzan-Lori Parks 1996–97, 1999–00, 2015–16
*a.k. payne 2022–23, 2023–24
*Sybille Pearson 1980–81
*Carey Perloff 2001–02
*Winsome Pinnock 1989–90†, 1991–92
*Frances Poet 2020–21
*Lucy Prebble 2003–04
*Nu Quang 1992–93
*Heather Raffo 2004–05†
*Aishah Rahman 1985–86
*Nina Raine 2017–18, 2018–19
*Theresa Rebeck 1994–95, 2002–03
*Christina Reid 1984–85
*Jacquelyn Reingold 1994–95
*Anna Reynolds 1992–93
*Gillian Richmond 1990–91
*Susan Rivers 1984–85
* Ella Road 2018–19
*Bea Roberts 2015–16
*Anusree Roy

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