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.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Winners

1978–79 Mary O'Malley
1979–80 Barbara Schneider, for Details Without a Map^[4]
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^[5]
2009–2010 Julia Cho for The Language Archive
2010–11 Katori Hall for Hurt Village ^[6]
2011–12 Jennifer Haley for The Nether^[7]
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^[8]
2019–20 Lucy Prebble for A Very Expensive Poison^[9]
2020-21 Erika Dickerson-Despenza for cullud wattah ^[10]
2021-22 Benedict Lombe for Lava ^[11]

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†
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†,
Lisa Loomer 1993–94†,
Sharman MacDonald 1984–85†,
Chloe Moss 2004–05†
Phyllis Nagy 1995–96†
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†
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
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
Kathleen Cahill 1984–85
Lucy Caldwell 2006–07
Sheila Callaghan 2006–07
Jo Carson 1989–90
Katherine Chandler 2014–15
Anupama Chandrasekhar 2008–09
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
Helen Cooper 1984–85, 1986–87, 2002–03
Kia Corthron 1997–98
Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig 2014–15
Migdalia Cruz 1990–91†, 1996–97
Alexandra Cunningham 2000–01
Leigh Curran 1978–79
Barbara Damashek 1987–88
Lisa D'Amour 2014–2015
April De Angelis 2005–06
Donna de Matteo 1982–83
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
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
Linda Marshall Griffiths 2005–06
Rinne Groff 2002–03
Nikki Harmon 1988–89
Zinnie Harris 2000–01†, 2003–04
Valerie Harris 1978–79
Catherine Hayes 1981–82
Beth Henley 1979–80†, 1987–88, 2005–06
Jacqueline Holborough 1987–88
Endesha Ida Mae Holland 1992–93
Debbie Horsfield 1984–85
Velina Hasu Houston 1985–86
Tina Howe 1979–80, 1983–84, 1997–98
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
Marie Jones 1999-00
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
Adrienne Kennedy 1990–91
Wendy Kesselman 1980–81*, 1989–90
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
Young Jean Lee 2009–10
Rebecca Lenkiewicz 2004–05
Nell Leyshon 2006–07
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
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
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
Abi Morgan 2003–04
Lavonne Mueller 1980–81, 1986–87
Philomena Muinzer 1979–80^[4]
Melissa Murray 1985–86, 1986–87
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
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
Mary O'Malley 1978–79*, 1985–86†
Louise Page 1982–83, 1984–85
Suzan-Lori Parks 1996–97, 1999–00
Sybille Pearson 1980–81
Carey Perloff 2001–02
Winsome Pinnock 1989–90†, 1991–92
Lucy Prebble 2003–04
Nu Quang 1992–93
Heather Raffo 2004–05†
Aishah Rahman 1985–86
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
Kate Moira Ryan 1996–97
Milcha Sanchez-Scott 1986–87
Barbara Schneider 1979–80*, 1980–81
Julia Schofield 1987–88
Heidi Schreck 2014–15
Rose Scollard 1995–96
Adele Edling Shank 1981–82, 1982–83
Anna Deavere Smith 1992–93, 1993–94
Diana Son 1998–99
Susan Sontag 1992–93
Abbie Spallen 2006–07
Ruby Rae Spiegel 2014–15
Shelagh Stephenson 1997–98†
Polly Stenham 2007–08
Victoria Stewart 2007–08
Tena Stivicic 2014–15
Kelly Stuart 2001–02
Karen Duke Sturges 1979–80
Elizabeth Swados 1991–92
Polly Teale 2003–04
Kristine Thatcher 1985–86, 1994–95§
Freyda Thomas 1999-00
Judith Thompson 2002–03, 2007–08*
Katherine Thomson 2004–05
Jane Thornton 1985–86
Leonora Thuna 1986–87†
Susan Todd 1981–82
Kathleen Tolan 1997–98
Kay Trainor 1992–93
Paula Vogel 1991–92, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1995–96
Francine Volpe 2006–07
Terri Wagener 1978–79, 1983–84
Celeste Bedford Walker 1999-00
Wendy Wasserstein 1978–79, 1981–82, 1992–93
Alison Watson 1980–81
Annie Weisman 2000–01
Patricia Wettig 2004–05
Erin Cressida Wilson 1995–96
Tracey Scott Wilson 2001–02
Victoria Wood 1979–80
Sarah Woods 2000–01
Elizabeth Wyatt 1988–89
Olwen Wymark 1978–79, 1979–80
Sheila Yeger 1988–89, 1990–91
Shay Youngblood 1989–90
Karen Zacarias 2003–04

Winners

Special Commendation

Finalists

See also

References

External links