Imison Award

Connor Allen, winner of the 2023 Imison Award. © Tricia Yourkevich / BBC

The Imison Award (£3,000) celebrates the best in new writing for the medium of audio drama. 

The prize was established in 1994 in memory of Richard Imison, a BBC script editor and producer, to acknowledge the encouragement, support and friendship he invariably gave to all writers, and particularly those working in the medium of radio.

The award is presented annually to an audio drama script by a writer new to the medium and which, in the opinion of the judges, is the best of those submitted. 

Submissions will be accepted from any party (producer, broadcasting organisation, writer, agent etc.). 

Previous winners include Faebian Averies, Fraser Ayres, Vicky Foster, Adam Usden, Mike Bartlett, Gabriel Gbadamosi, Murray Gold and Nell Leyshon. 

We are grateful to the Peggy Ramsay Foundation and the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society for sponsoring the Imison Award.​

If you have any questions about the prize, please contact Sophia A Jackson.


2023

The Making of a Monster by Connor Allen 

Produced by Emma Harding, BBC Cymru Wales, for BBC Radio (44 minutes) | Read more

2022

The Lemonade Lads by Faebian Averies

Produced by James Robinson, BBC Cymru Wales, for BBC Radio (44 minutes) | Read more

2021

Maynard by Fraser Ayres

Produced by Mel Harris, Sparklab Productions, BBC Radio 4 (44 minutes) | Read more

2020

Bathwater by Vicky Foster

Produced by Sue Roberts, BBC Radio Drama, BBC Radio 4 (44 minutes)

2019

Of a Lifetime by Lulu Raczka

Produced by Polly Thomas, BBC Radio 3 (30 minutes)

2018

The Book of Yehudit by Adam Usden

Produced by Charlotte Riches, BBC Radio Drama Salford, BBC Radio 4 (45 minutes)

2017

Comment is Free by James Fritz

Produced by Becky Ripley, BBC Radio & Music Bristol

2016

30 Eggs by Eoin O’Connor

Produced by Gemma McMullen, BBC Drama Belfast, BBC Radio 4

2015

How to Say Goodbye Properly by E.V. Crowe

2014

The Loving Ballad of Captain Bateman by Joseph Wilde with the composer Tim van Eyken*

From this point the award date now reflects actual year of award and not year of broadcast

2012

Do You Like Banana, Comrade? by Csaba Székely*

2010

Amazing Grace by Michelle Lipton

2009

The Road Wife by Eoin McNamee

2008

Girl From Mars by Lucy Caldwell

2007

The Magician’s Daughter by Adam Beeson

2006

Not Talking by Mike Bartlett

2005

Mixed Blood by Nazrin Choudhury

2004

Mr Sex by Steve Coombes

2003

All You on the Good Earth by Stephen Sharkey

2002

Milk by Nell Leyshon and Stephen McAnena and The Skategrinder by Celia Bryce

2001

The Waltzer by Rhiannon Tise

2000

Electricity by Murray Gold

1999

A Matter of Interpretation by Peter Morgan

1998

Skin Deep by Ben Cooper

1997

Earthquake Girl by Katie Hims

1996

Wilde Belles by Rosemary Kay and Holy Secrets by John Waters

1995

I Luv You Jimmy Spud by Lee Hall

1994

Daisy the Cow Who Talked by Gerry Stembridge and Kissing the Gargoyle by James Stock

1993

The Long, Hot Summer of ’76 by Gabriel Gbadamosi

* These two years had an extended submission period of 18 months (an extra six months) to coordinate with the BBC Audio Drama Awards.

With thanks to

The Peggy Ramsay Foundation seeks to perpetuate Peggy Ramsay’s ideals, by directly helping dramatists at very different stages of experience in ways which it is determined to keep as quick and unbureaucratic as possible.

The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) – a not-for-profit organisation that works to ensure that writers are fairly compensated when their works are copied, broadcast or recorded.