Gerald Osborn Playwriting Award
Applications and nominations for the 2026 Gerald Osborn Playwriting Award are now open! The deadline to apply or nominate a Fringe playwright is Monday, July 20, 2026 at 11:59pm (Mountain Time). Find the application form below.
Fringe Theatre is committed to supporting opportunities for local playwrights to create, develop and share work through the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.
The intent of the Gerald Osborn Playwriting Award is to encourage and support Fringe playwrights who are creating plays that will be produced at the Edmonton Fringe Festival.
History
Gerald Osborn has devoted an extraordinary 30+ years to Edmonton Fringe! The Gerald Osborn Playwriting Award honours this tremendous achievement. On top of his incredible dedication as a staff member, Gerald has written 19 plays for the Edmonton Fringe that have been produced 27 times. Through a special fundraising campaign, Gerald’s nearest and dearest made donations to establish The Gerald Osborn Playwriting Endowment Fund which will annually grant a cash award to a Fringe Playwright for years to come.
This award encourages and supports Fringe playwrights who are creating plays that will be produced at an upcoming Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.
Eligible applicant must:
- be 18 years of age or older;
- be a resident of Edmonton (or live within 50km) for at least one year prior to the application deadline;
- be a Fringe playwright who has written a script being produced in an Indoor theatre show (Lottery or Bring Your Own Venue (BYoV)) at the upcoming Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival; and,
- Acknowledging that the need for this support will be higher than the availability of the award, individual recipients may only receive this award once and are not eligible to reapply.
The intent of this award is to encourage and support a Fringe playwright who is creating (or, has written) a play (or, plays) that will be produced at the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.
- Fringe playwrights may apply to this award by completing the application from below.
- The Fringe playwright does not need to be directly connected to a production of their play to be eligible to apply for this award (ex: does not need to be a producer or a member of the company who is producing their play).
- Fringe producers or Artists participating in the upcoming Festival are welcome to nominate a Fringe playwright whose show they are producing as they submit their Festival Lottery Application.
- New and emerging Fringe playwrights are encouraged to apply (yes, you can apply if you are writing your first play!).
- Writing collectives who are working together to create a written script are eligible to apply.
- Fringe Theatre is committed to supporting and fostering the work of diverse Artists whose voices have been historically underrepresented both onstage and behind the scenes in the arts community. We encourage applications from those who are part of the IBPoC, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and/or other equity-seeking groups. To learn more about Fringe Theatre’s efforts to create Safer Spaces, please visit our Safer Spaces program.
- Improvised shows are not ideal recipients for this award since they do not have a written script.
- Production and theatre companies are ineligible to apply for this award, but they are welcome to nominate the playwright they are working with.
The Gerald Osborn Award is given annually to one local Fringe playwright. The recipient will receive a $500 cash award. This cash award is intended to support the playwright’s writing process, artistic activities, and/or career development and may be used at their discretion.
- All eligible award applications will be entered into a lottery draw, and the recipient of the Gerald Osborn Playwriting Award will be selected at random.
- Each playwright who has applied (or been nominated) will receive a maximum of one entry into the lottery draw. In other words, the number of nominations or applications received will not increase the number of entries.
- Please note, applications and nominations will be reviewed by an internal Fringe committee to ensure adherence to the eligibility listed above. Any applications or nominations that do not meet the award eligibility will be removed.
The successful applicant must agree to:
- submit a short report describing how the award funds benefitted you as a Fringe playwright;
- provide Fringe Theatre unlimited rights to publicize, advertise, and promote the recipient and their work in relation to the Gerald Osborn Playwriting Award;
- adhere to Fringe Theatre’s policies, including our Code of Conduct; and
- adhere to Fringe Theatre Award Agreement.
Failure to comply or fulfill these agreements could result in the forfeiture of the award.
Applications and nominations for the 2026 Gerald Osborn Playwriting Award are now open! The deadline to apply (or nominate) for the Gerald Osborn Playwriting Award is Monday, July 20, 2026 at 11:59pm (Mountain Time).
The Award winner will be announced at the end of the 2026 Edmonton international Fringe Theatre Festival
Applications may also be submitted by email (PDF please!) to awards@fringetheatre.ca, letter mail, or in person: Fringe Theatre Arts Barns, 10330 84 Ave, Edmonton AB, T6E 2G9.
If you have accessibility needs related to your application or any questions, please contact awards@fringetheatre.ca for assistance.