The 48th Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has named two joint winners for the first time in 25 years, celebrating playwrights Hannah Doran and Ro Reddick for their debut works. The announcement was made at the Royal Court Theatre, highlighting the continued prominence of women+ writers in English-speaking theatre.

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the largest and oldest award recognising women+ playwrights in English-language theatre, announced Ro Reddick’s Cold War Choir Practice and Hannah Doran’s The Meat Kings! (Inc.) of Brooklyn Heights as joint winners for 2026. The news was revealed on 26 February at the Royal Court, with both writers awarded $25,000 and a signed print by Willem de Kooning specially created for the prize.

This year’s final list included a range of new voices, culminating in the first joint winners in a quarter-century. Each finalist received a $5,000 award, affirming the prize’s support for emerging talent across diverse theatrical styles and themes.

Executive director Leslie Swackhamer noted the contrast between the plays, describing Cold War Choir Practice as a “surreal romp of political intrigue” and The Meat Kings! as “firmly grounded in realism.” She highlighted that both debut works engage with contemporary moments in “theatrically thrilling ways,” suggesting promising futures for their creators.

Reddick shared that she began writing Cold War Choir Practice in graduate school in 2022, inspired by the unfolding conflict in Ukraine and her personal memories of a chorus dedicated to world peace. She characterised the play as an exploration of “the moment when you learn the world is not a safe place for you,” a poignant coming-of-age theme.

Doran explained her focus on capturing the experience of a butcher’s cut room, which unexpectedly took on a political dimension over time. Written during the first Trump administration, The Meat Kings! received its premiere at the Park Theatre last year after winning the Papatango Prize, with its political relevance intensifying amidst divisive discourse.

Since its inception nearly 50 years ago, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has honoured over 500 plays, with former winners including established voices such as Alice Birch, Julia Cho, Katori Hall, Lynn Nottage, and Paula Vogel. Both Doran and Reddick join this lineage as fresh voices addressing urgent cultural and political themes.

The prize announcement was attended by an international gathering of theatre leaders and artists, underscoring the award’s significance in nurturing new women+ talent in theatre. Interviews with both playwrights are planned for release soon, providing further insight into their creative journeys.