The 2025 Finalists of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for playwrighting have been revealed, announced in an video from acclaimed screen star Pedro Pascal. The annual award—the largest and oldest existing award of its kind—honors women+ playwrights working in English-speaking theatre. 

This year's finalists and their respective plays include Barbara Bergin for Dublin Gothic, Hannah Doran for Meat Kings! (Inc.) of Brooklyn Heights, Amy Jephta for A Good House, Frances Poet for Small Acts of Love, Ro Reddick for Cold War Choir Practice, Jasmine Sharma for Pigeonhole, Jen Silverman for Regressions, DeLanna Studi for “I” is for Invisible, Else Went for Initiative, and Bess Wohl for Liberation.

See Pascal announce the finalists in the video below:

The winner will be announced at a celebration hosted at the Royal Court Theatre in London February 26. The winner will receive a $25,000 award and a signed print by renowned artist Willem de Kooning, created especially for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. A special commendation of $10,000 may be given at the discretion of the judges, and each finalist will receive $5,000.

Entering its 48th year, the Blackburn Prize is the largest and oldest international playwriting award. More than 500 plays have been honored as finalists since the honor's inception in 1978, with past winners including Annie Baker, Alice Birch, Benedict Lombe, Julia Cho, Caryl Churchill, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Katori Hall, Lucy Kirkwood, Marsha Norman, Lynn Nottage, Dael Orlandersmith, Lucy Prebble, Sarah Ruhl, Paula Vogel, Wendy Wasserstein, Timberlake Wertenbaker, and Cheryl West.

For more on this year's finalists and their works, visit BlackburnPrize.org.