The John Hinde Award for Excellence in Science-Fiction Writing recognises the best sci-fi scripts across feature film, television, web series, audio and interactive media. Winning writers will share in a $10,000 prize pool, funded by a bequest from the late Australian film critic John Hinde.

There are two categories available to enter:

  • Produced Category: for projects that completed production between 1 January and 31 December 2025
  • Unproduced Category: for scripts that remain unproduced for the duration of the competition

Entries close at 5pm (AEST) Tuesday 7 April 2026.

For more information and before you enter, please download the 2026 John Hinde Award information kit.

JOINING FEE WAIVED FOR NEW MEMBERS ENTERING THE AWARDS
New members joining the AWG with an annual Full or Associate membership will have the joining fee waived upon sign-up ($185 for full members, $120 for associates). To take advantage of this special offer, please contact admin@awg.com.au to receive a coupon code for a waived joining fee.

THE PRIZE

  • Winning writers will share in $10,000 prize money.
  • Winning scripts and writer profiles will be added to the AWG’s prestigious Pathways Program.

ENTRANT GUIDELINES 

  • Open to current financial AWG Full, Associate and Student members. Membership must be valid at the time of entry and for the duration of the competition.
  • AWG offers to waive the joining fee for new members joining to enter the John Hinde Award. To take advantage of this special offer, please contact admin@awg.com.au.
  • New members will need to join for a minimum of 12 months.

ENTRY GUIDELINES 

  • The entry fee for the John Hinde Award is $50.
  • Entries close 5pm (AEST) on Tuesday 7 April 2026.
  • In the unproduced category, entrants must own all the rights to the script being entered.
  • Entries may be a feature or short film, television series or miniseries, web series, audio, animation, children’s television, game or interactive media.
  • All entries for the John Hinde Award are to be completed online, including uploading synopsis and script documents.
  • The script must meet the definition of science-fiction as outlined in the information kit.  
  • Scripts must be presented and formatted to industry standards. You can find Screen Australia’s suggested script layout here. 
  • All instances of collaboration and authorship must be declared in the entry form. Co-writers are not required to be AWG members.
  • Entries must include:  
    • Unproduced Category: Each entry must include a logline, one-page synopsis and the full script, uploaded as a single PDF document.
    • Produced Category: Works must have completed principal photography or principal production between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025. Each entry must include the full script, uploaded as a PDF document. Entrants must also provide the following information: principal photography dates, producer(s) names(s), production company and broadcaster.

IMPORTANT NOTE: To ensure a fair judging process, the writer’s name must not appear on any part of the entry file or as a header or footer within the script. Entries should also not include any reference to previous funding received for the development of the script, including agency logos. Entries that include any of the above details will not be eligible to enter.

NUMBER OF ENTRIES 

  • Entrants may enter up to three scripts in each John Hinde Award category.
  • In the unproduced category, if you are entering the script for a television series, the script should be the first episode/pilot. If you are entering the script for a web series, the script may be the first episode/pilot, or any number of episodes up to and including 35 minutes (1 minute = 1 page).
  • In the produced category, no more than one episode of the same series or miniseries may be entered by a member. However, a member may enter one of their own individually credited episodes even if another episode of the same program – written by the member in collaboration with another member writer(s) – has already been entered by one of the other collaborators.

For further queries about entering the John Hinde Award, please contact admin@awg.com.au.

ENTER

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