Andrew Russell has been named winner of the 2025 Write It Out! Prize for playwrights living with HIV and AIDS. Russell was selected based on their play My Maria.

"Andrew's play is a triumph. It’s epic in scope, while tender with the relationships he crafted. I was in awe of what he was able to accomplish," said Love in a statement. "The conversation the play is having about loneliness, connection, and redemption left me in tears. It’s the kind of play that leaves you aching to know more about the character you’ve spent so much time with. It’s the kind of play that reminds you of why you fell in love with theatre." Love founded the award in 2019.

The Prize includes an award of $10,000 along with a year of dramaturgical support to develop a new work in the coming year. My Maria will get a reading early 2027.

“I’m a late bloomer. I have never received a prize for my writing. It seems only fitting that my first be so directly from my community. Anyone who valiantly ventures to make a career in theatre knows this: you have to take the wins—big and small, common and rare—as flares from the gods to keep going, keep writing, keep telling stories,” said Russell in a statement.

In addition to the prize, Write It Out! is hosting its sixth annual Final Sharing, an evening of 10-minute plays written by the 2025 Fellows of the Write It Out! 10-week program. The Final Sharing will take place on December 2 at 7 PMEST at The Center in New York.

Past recipients of the prize include Matty Mahoski in 2023 and Dominic Colón in 2021.

The year’s program and prize was supported by ViiV Healthcare, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, The Terrence McNally Foundation, and GLAAD.

Visit LetsWriteItOut.com.