Australian Writers' Guild (AWG)

Overview

The Australian Writers' Guild (AWG) is the professional association and industrial organisation for performance writers working in film, television, theatre, radio, and interactive media in Australia. Founded in 1962, the AWG has represented Australian writers for over 60 years. It negotiates minimum terms agreements with producers and broadcasters, advocates for writers' creative rights and compensation, and provides professional development, contract advice, and community resources.

The AWG's industrial function involves negotiating and administering three television writing agreements with Screen Producers Australia (SPA): the Series and Serials Agreement (SASA, first introduced in 1985), the Miniseries and Telemovies Agreement (MATA), and the Children's Television Agreement (CTA). A fourth agreement, the Theatre Industry Agreement, covers stage writing. The SASA, MATA, and CTA fees are indexed to inflation, increasing with the annual CPI on 1 January each year. AWG and SPA confer at the end of each year to confirm rates before publishing the following year's schedules.

Screen Australia's Terms of Trade obligate funding recipients to pay at least award minimum rates or guild-agreed minimums for all work performed by key creatives, cast, and crew. In practice, this means most productions funded through Screen Australia or commissioned by Australian broadcasters are expected to comply with AWG minimum rates for covered writing work.

Notable Members and Leadership

President Peter Mattessi, a screenwriter and executive producer who works across the UK and Australia, was elected in December 2023. Mattessi is the co-creator and executive producer of Return to Paradise, an Australian spin-off of the global hit Death in Paradise, broadcast on ABC and BBC One. He has been on the EastEnders core writing team for over ten years and has worked on The Heights (ABC/BBC One) and Neighbours. Vice President Shanti Gudgeon has written for Wolf Creek, Nowhere Boys, Dance Academy, and Conspiracy 365.

The AWG's membership includes many of Australia's most prominent screen and stage writers. Recent AWGIE Award winners illustrate the caliber of active members. The 58th Annual AWGIE Awards (February 2026) honored Sheridan Harbridge, Dean Bryant, and Mathew Frank for the musical adaptation of My Brilliant Career, which won the $120,000 David Williamson Prize for Excellence in Writing for Australian Theatre. Peter Duncan won Feature Film Adapted for The Correspondent, Natalie Erika James won Feature Film Original for Saccharine, and Samantha Strauss, Angela Betzien, and Anya Beyersdorf won the Limited Series Award for Apple Cider Vinegar. Tony McNamara, Oscar nominee for Poor Things and The Favourite, was nominated for The Roses in the Feature Film Adapted category.

Past President Shane Brennan (elected 2019) steered the Guild through the COVID-19 industry shutdowns and advanced key industrial matters including SVOD regulation, copyright reform, and the elevation of Australian showrunners. Five members were honoured with Life Membership at the 2026 AWGIEs: Geoffrey Atherden, Anne Brooksbank, Michael Harvey, Shane Porteous, and Roger Simpson.

Membership: Fees, Tiers, and Eligibility

AWG membership has three tiers. Full membership requires produced work: for film, theatre, and audio, at least 50 minutes of produced work; for television, at least 45 minutes. Associate membership is available to those who do not yet qualify for Full membership. Student membership requires proof of enrolment in a full-time course.

Full Membership Annual Rates (GST Inclusive)

There is a one-off joining fee of $185 for Full membership. Monthly and quarterly payments must be made for a minimum of 12 months.

Associate and Student Membership

Full members receive industrial advice (6 hours per annum, with additional advice charged at $165/hr), access to model contracts and standard agreements (including options, co-writing, and employment contracts), AWGIE Awards eligibility, Pathways Showcase and Prime eligibility, and invitations to state-based industry events (monthly in Sydney and Melbourne). Associate members receive most benefits except industrial advice hours and Pathways eligibility. Student members receive access to model contracts, rates, industrial documents, and Emerging Writers' Awards eligibility.

How Eligibility Actually Works in Practice

The AWG's membership system is credit-based, similar to the ADG's, reflecting its status as a professional association with industrial functions. Here is how it works in practice:

Full membership. You apply with evidence of produced work: for film, theatre, and audio, at least 50 minutes of produced work; for television, at least 45 minutes. This means you must have a produced credit that meets the minimum duration threshold. The AWG verifies your credits before approving your application. This is the standard path for working writers with produced credits.

Associate membership. For writers who do not yet qualify for Full membership, Associate membership provides most benefits except industrial advice hours and Pathways eligibility. This tier is accessible to writers in early career stages who have not yet accumulated enough produced work to qualify for Full membership. The Associate joining fee is $120 (one-off) with an annual fee of $210.

Student membership. For students enrolled in full-time courses, Student membership provides access to model contracts, rates, industrial documents, and Emerging Writers' Awards eligibility. The joining fee is waived and the annual fee is $85. This tier allows students to access AWG resources and begin building their professional community before they have produced credits.

The income-tiered fee structure. Full membership fees are based on your writing income, ranging from $325/year (under $40,000) to $850/year (over $100,000). This makes membership financially accessible for writers at all income levels, with higher-earning writers paying more to support the guild's industrial work. Monthly and quarterly payment options require a minimum 12-month commitment.

The AWGIE Awards requirement. To enter the AWGIE Awards, you must be a financial Full or Associate Member by the closing date and for the duration of the judging process. Student Members must upgrade to Associate or Full membership to enter. If you are eligible for Full Membership at the time of entry, you must transfer to Full Membership before your entry can be processed. This creates a practical incentive for Associate members to upgrade when they have produced work eligible for awards.

Benefits Breakdown

The AWG provides industrial, professional, and community benefits. Its industrial function is stronger than the ADG's because the AWG holds collective bargaining agreements with Screen Producers Australia (SPA), but its financial benefits are more limited than those of US or UK unions. There is no AWG pension or health plan; Australian writers access healthcare through Medicare and retirement through personal superannuation.

Minimum rate enforcement. The AWG negotiates minimum rates with SPA through three television writing agreements (SASA, MATA, CTA) and publishes rate cards for feature films, documentaries, low-budget films, theatre, and other categories. Screen Australia's Terms of Trade require funding recipients to pay at least guild minimum rates, giving these rates practical force on funded productions. The SASA, MATA, and CTA fees are indexed to inflation, increasing with the annual CPI on 1 January each year.

Industrial advice. Full members receive 6 hours of industrial advice per annum, with additional advice charged at $165/hour. This provides contract review, negotiation support, and dispute resolution assistance. For freelance writers who lack the employment law protections of staff workers, this legal backing is a critical benefit.

Model contracts and standard agreements. The AWG provides model contracts for options, co-writing, and employment arrangements, giving writers reference points for negotiation and reducing the risk of unfavorable contract terms. The AWG recommends option fees of $500 to $1,000 with one-year option periods and no automatic extensions.

AWGIE Awards. The AWGIE Awards, presented annually since 1968, are the only Australian writers' awards judged solely by writers, based on the written script rather than the finished production. The David Williamson Prize for Excellence in Writing for Australian Theatre carries a $120,000 award, making it the richest annual playwriting award in Australia. AWGIE recognition can significantly boost a writer's profile and career prospects.

Credit determination and protection. The AWG advocates for writers' crediting practices and protects writers' credit entitlements on covered productions. Credit affects both compensation and professional reputation, making credit protection a tangible benefit for working writers.

Pathways Showcase and Prime. Full members are eligible for Pathways Showcase and Prime, programs that connect writers with producers and decision makers, providing career development opportunities and exposure for unproduced work.

Professional development and community. The AWG hosts monthly industry events in Sydney and Melbourne, providing networking opportunities and professional development. The guild also runs The Creators program with Screen Australia, supporting the development of Australian showrunners and creators.

AWGIE Awards

The AWGIE Awards have been presented annually since 1968, recognising excellence in writing for stage and screen. The AWGIEs are the only Australian writers' awards judged solely by writers, and judging is based on the written script (the writer's intention) rather than the finished production. This makes the AWGIEs distinct from awards judged on produced work.

Entries for the 59th Annual AWGIE Awards open in August 2026 for works that finished production or had their first performance in 2025. All entrants must be financial Full or Associate Members of the AWG by the closing date and for the duration of the judging process. Student Members must upgrade to Associate or Full membership to enter. If an entrant is eligible for Full Membership at the time of entry, a transfer to Full Membership is required before the entry can be processed.

All works must be written in English (or include an English translation) and must be either written by an AWG member who is an Australian national or resident, or produced/performed in Australia. The AWG reserves the right to change, combine, or restructure categories if a fairer grouping of entries is possible. Only works of high merit are nominated, with the most outstanding work receiving the AWGIE Award. If there is only one nomination, it receives the award.

Minimum Rates and Industrial Agreements

The AWG publishes minimum rates across multiple categories, all updated for 2025:

• Feature Film Minimum Rates 2025
• Series and Serials Agreement (SASA) Rates 2025
• Miniseries and Telemovies Agreement (MATA) Rates 2025
• Children's Television Agreement Rates 2025
• Documentary Rates 2025
• Low Budget and Short Film Rates 2025
• Theatre Industry Agreement Minimum Rates 2025
• Casual Writing and Research Minimum Rates 2025
• Corporate DVD Minimum Rates 2025
• Script Department Rates 2025 (Showrunner, Script Producer, Script Editor, Script Coordinator, Storyliner, Note-taker)
• Freelance Script Editors and Assessors 2025
• Freelance Narrative Designer - Games and Interactive 2025

These rates are the minimum that an Australian writer should receive for covered work. The AWG explicitly states that they should not prevent writers from negotiating higher fees. The SASA, MATA, and CTA are negotiated between AWG and SPA and have been in use in various forms for decades. The agreements cover individual episode scripts, not series concepts (separate TV Option agreements apply to series concepts).

The AWG has noted that the SASA fee structure is complex and encourages members to contact the guild's industrial team for guidance. The current television agreements predate the SVOD era and are due to be updated, with the AWG actively negotiating new industrial terms and conditions.

Australian Screen Funding Context

Australian screenwriting operates within a multi-source funding ecosystem. Screen Australia funds feature film and television development and production, including writer development programs for script development before production financing is in place. The ABC and SBS commission original Australian drama, documentary, and children's content. State screen agencies in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and other states provide additional development and production funding.

Productions funded through Screen Australia or commissioned by Australian broadcasters are generally expected to comply with AWG minimum rates as a condition of funding. Producers commissioning writers should verify which AWG agreement applies to their production type before issuing contracts.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Australian producers commissioning screenwriters, AWG minimum rates apply to writing agreements on productions signatory to AWG agreements, including most Screen Australia-funded or broadcaster-commissioned productions. Producers should consult the relevant rate schedule (SASA for series/serials, MATA for miniseries/telemovies, CTA for children's television, Feature Film rates for theatrical features) before drafting writing contracts. The AWG offers industrial advice to producers on agreement compliance.

For screenwriters, AWG membership provides minimum fee protection, credit entitlements, residual collection, 6 hours of industrial advice per year, model contracts, AWGIE Awards eligibility, and professional development resources. The income-tiered fee structure means writers earning under $40,000 annually pay $325/year for Full membership. Writers should note that the AWG recommends option fees of $500-$1,000 with one-year option periods and no automatic extensions.

See Also

For the Australian directors association working alongside AWG-covered writers, see Australian Directors Guild (ADG) in this directory. For the Australian screen editors association, see Australian Screen Editors (ASE) in this directory. For how Australian co-production agreements interact with AWG requirements, see Distribution Deals Explained.