The Filipino Playwrights Prize: New literary contest for full-length plays offers up to P100,000 cash prize

A new writing contest with a focus on full-length plays is here.

IDEAfirst LIVE!, the new theater arm of production house The IDEAfirst Company—which is behind hits Die Beautiful, Gameboys, and And the Breadwinner Is...— has launched The Filipino Playwrights Prize (TFPP), which is "designed to identify and celebrate original, full-length Filipino plays."

The TFPP is open to all Filipinos aged 18 and up.

Entries must be original, written predominantly in Filipino, and have two or more acts. Plays can either be a straight play or a musical.

Comedy entries will also be accepted.

The competition offers substantial rewards: P100,000 for first prize, P70,000 for second prize, and P50,000 for third prize.

Submissions are open until Sept. 30, 2025, while the official announcement of the winners will be on March 8, 2026.

"The Filipino Playwrights Prize represents IDEAfirst LIVE!'s unwavering commitment to cultivating a vibrant ecosystem for original Filipino dramatic works," the company said in a statement. "Through this initiative, the newly established theater arm of The IDEAfirst Company aims to ensure a steady supply of high-quality scripts for the local stage."

"IDEAfirst LIVE! is also committed to nurturing Filipino talent and contributing to the growth and recognition of Philippine theater," it added.

The official competition guidelines can be found here.

The TFPP is the latest addition to select literary competitions in the country, which include the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, Maningning Miclat Poetry Competition, and Gawad Bienvenido Lumbera. Competitions for published books include the National Book Award and the Madrigal Gonzalez Best First Book Award.