The Sabi Arts Playwright Prize has opened submissions for its inaugural edition, offering Nigerian playwrights a combined ₦1.4 million in cash awards, professional development opportunities and a chance to bring original scripts to the stage.
Launched by Sabi Arts Limited, the annual award aims to support new and emerging Nigerian playwrights whose work explores contemporary life through original storytelling and theatrical performance. The competition is open to Nigerians aged 18 and above, including those living in the diaspora, with submissions closing on December 20, 2026.
The prize includes three awards. The Grand Prize winner will receive ₦1 million, alongside script development and a stage production in collaboration with Ouida Lagos. The production is expected to take place before a live audience within 36 months of the winners’ announcement. The winner will also gain automatic entry into Sabi Arts’ next writers’ residency programme.
The Runner-Up Prize carries ₦200,000 and recognises outstanding theatrical craft. Its recipient will also qualify for automatic entry into the next residency programme.
A third award, the Julie Okoh Prize, offers another ₦200,000 to a woman playwright whose work centres women’s experiences and meaningfully addresses issues affecting women. The award also includes a professionally developed stage reading by Sabi Arts within 12 months of the announcement, subject to its production schedule, and entry into the organisation’s next writers’ residency programme.
Named after Professor Julie Okoh, a Nigerian playwright and theatre scholar at the University of Port Harcourt, the award recognises her contribution to theatre and her work addressing issues affecting women. Okoh is also a Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Nigerian Theatre Artists.
The competition accepts original plays that have not previously been published or produced. According to the organisers’ submission guidelines, entries must be written in English, although other languages may appear in the script if translations are provided in a glossary. Manuscripts must not exceed 75 pages and must be submitted as PDF files.
Applicants must also remove identifying details from their manuscripts to support the competition’s blind assessment process. This includes names, biographies, email addresses and social media handles. Co-authored plays are not eligible, and each playwright may submit one play per edition. The organisers have also stated that AI-generated dramatic content is not permitted.
There is no submission fee. Interested writers can review the complete requirements and apply through the official Sabi Arts Playwright Prize website.
The selection process will take place in three stages. An anonymous group of readers will assess submissions and determine the longlist, followed by a second review to select the shortlist. The final jury will then deliberate to choose the winners.
The longlist is scheduled for announcement on January 31, 2027, followed by the shortlist on February 28. The winners are expected to be announced on March 31, 2027.
The inaugural jury brings together four practitioners from theatre and the wider creative sector. They are Farah Lawal Harris, playwright and artistic director of Young Playwrights’ Theater; Kelvin Mary Ndukwe, creative director, producer and founder of 1000 Stories; Rufus Nwoko, artistic director of New Culture Studio; and Kesiena C. Obue, playwright, director and founder of Kessavier Vanille Productions.
Beyond the cash awards, Sabi Arts plans to publish a digital anthology featuring the three winning scripts and three additional shortlisted plays selected by the jury. The collection is intended to preserve the selected works and make them accessible to readers, educators, theatre practitioners and other audiences.
The prize builds on the work of Sabi Arts Limited, founded in 2018 by Ibi Kontein. The company produces theatre exploring social and political issues in contemporary Nigerian life, connecting artistic performance with research and community concerns.
Kontein is a Nigerian researcher, playwright, theatre producer and director who is completing a PhD in International Relations at American University. Her research and creative work examine subjects including religion, sex work, political autonomy, women’s experiences in the Niger Delta and the tensions that shape family life.
Her stage productions include Back For Ground, staged at the MUSON Centre in Lagos, and Dear Applicant, a satire about job-seeking that made its UK debut at Theatre Peckham. Her work has been presented in Lagos, Ogun, Port Harcourt, London and Edinburgh.
In announcing the prize, Kontein said the initiative reflects her commitment to socially engaged theatre and to supporting writers who capture the complexity of contemporary African life.
For playwrights seeking to enter, the deadline is December 20, 2026. The award offers financial recognition alongside opportunities for script development, stage presentation, residency participation and digital publication, depending on the category and selection outcome.
Full eligibility requirements and application details are available on the official Sabi Arts Playwright Prize website.
