The BBC World Service has announced the two winners of this year’s International Audio Drama Competition, following a huge response of more than 800 entries from 87 countries around the world. The winner in the English as a First Language category was Australian playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer.
Working in partnership with the British Council and supported by an international panel of readers and judges, the competition celebrates outstanding storytelling and emerging voices in audio drama from across the globe.
As well as a cash prize, each winner receives the opportunity to turn their drama into a studio production made by the BBC.
The winners and commendations were officially announced at a special event hosted by Fiona Shaw CBE on 1 June at the Commonwealth Foundation, London. The event welcomed invited guests including professionals from theatre, literature, film, radio and the wider arts and culture sector.
The 2026 winners were:
- English as a First Language Category:
Here, on a High Hill by Finegan Kruckemeyer (Australia)
A moving and poetic drama in which four teenagers pass the time and reflect on life, in a graveyard in Southwest Ireland. - English as a Second Language Category:
Aisha’s Horizon by Idi Nasiru (Nigeria)
The story of a young refugee woman’s perilous journey from northern Nigeria to Europe. After Aisha’s family is killed, she is pulled from the river by her uncle. Now in a refugee camp, she finds herself facing a marriage to a man she does not love. Instead, she decides instead to embark on a dangerous journey with the man she does.
Finegan Kruckemeyer is a playwright who is committed to making strong and respectful work for children. He has had 105 commissioned plays performed on six continents and translated into eight languages. Kruckemeyer has received 42 awards (at least one each year since 2002) including the 2017 Mickey Miners Lifetime Achievement Award for services to international theatre for young audiences, the 2015 David Williamson Award for Excellence in Australian Playwrighting, and an inaugural Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship. He published his first novel in 2024, titled ‘The End and Everything Before it’. Kruckemeyer was born in Ireland and moved to Adelaide, Australia aged 8. He lived in Tasmania as an adult for 15 years but has since returned to South Australia.
The BBC World Service International Audio Drama Competition continues to champion powerful storytelling and creative voices from every corner of the world, highlighting the enduring impact of audio drama on global audiences.
Simon Pitts, Commissioning Editor, BBC World Service, said: “Audio drama at the BBC is over 100 years old and is in fantastic health. I’m thrilled with the huge international response and the calibre of entries we have received for this year’s competition. The BBC World Service is proud to support and develop creative talent around the world.”
Neil Webb, Director Theatre and Dance, British Council, said: “At the British Council, we believe that sharing creative ideas across borders enriches us all. A huge thank you to everyone that entered the competition – I’ve been inspired to see how many writers from all over the world shared their stories with us and I can’t wait to hear our wonderful winners’ collaborations with the BBC World Service. I hope the forthcoming dramas inspire audiences and artists to explore audio drama and see the world in new ways.”
Judging Panel
This year’s judging panel included:
- Simon Pitts, Commissioning Editor, BBC World Service
- Emma Harding, Executive Editor – Classical Music, Arts & Drama – BBC Audio Wales and West of England (Chair of judging panel)
- Cathy Gomez, Senior Relationship Manager, Theatre and Dance, British Council
- Iris Yamashita, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and dramatist
- Janice Okoh, playwright, screenwriter and Bruntwood Prize winner
- Benjamin Abitan, writer and producer for Arte Radio and Radio France Culture, and multiple Prix Europa winner
Notes to Editors
About BBC World Service
BBC World Service delivers news and current affairs around the world in 43 languages, including English, across a mix of video, audio, and online output. Mainly through the BBC World Service, the BBC reaches a weekly audience of 450 million and is the most trusted news provider globally. The BBC World Service is also ranked first by global audiences for reliability and independence amongst international news providers.
About the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this through our work in arts and culture, education and the English language. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2024-25 we reached 600 million people.
Image: Fiona Shaw (centre) with the two winners, Idi Nasiru (left) and Finegan Kruckemeyer (right).
