The British Council, in partnership with the BBC World Service, launched the 12th International Radio Playwriting Competition in October 2010. From nearly 1000 scripts received from across the world, we are delighted to confirm that the winning entries have now been announced.

Lasha Bugadze from Georgia and Fernanda Jaber, a Brazilian living in China were the winners of the two top prizes in the competition, so both writers visited London for a week to see their plays professionally recorded ready for broadcast on BBC World Service. They also attended a special award ceremony in their honour at the prestigious Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

Watch a video of the winners at the award ceremony

Please note: the winning play in the 'English as a Second Language' category; The Wild Neighbour and the Willing Coward by Fernanda Jaber will be broadcast on the BBC World Service Saturday 17 Dec 20.00 GMT. The cast includes Meera Syal and Vincent Ebrahim. Please see here for more details

Winner of the 'English as a First Language' category, Lasha Bugadze’s play The Navigator, starring Toby Jones and Indira Varma, will be broadcast Saturday 31 December 20.00 GMT: Please see here for more details

Fernanda Jaber's modern moral fable, The Wild Neighbour and the Willing Coward, was described by the judges as 'full of wonderful surprise', 'poignant' and a 'deep play done with a beautiful light touch.'

Lasha Bugadze's dark comedy The Navigator, was translated by Maya Kiasashvili and the judges it was 'enchanting', 'authentic' and that 'it cleverly turns the subject of loneliness into joyous listening.'

'This is an honour, not just for me but for my country,' said Lasha, on hearing the news. Fernanda was equally overjoyed, 'I'm shaking, it's wonderful. I never thought I could win.'

The expert panel of judges included star of stage and screen and celebrated screenwriter Dame Eileen Atkins; award-winning playwright Roy Williams and acclaimed international actress, Ayesha Dharker.

Read more about the final short-listed scripts

You can also find out more about the competition on our Facebook page.

Marion Nancarrow, Executive Producer of BBC World Drama commented:

This is the only competition of its kind in the world – it is at the heart of what BBC World Drama does. It's about hearing new, different stories and voices and is a reminder of what a fantastic medium radio drama is – one of the most powerful and accessible ways to tell a story. Radio drama is a renowned route for writers – Tom Stoppard, Harold Pinter, Joe Orton and Anthony Minghella are among those premier British writers whose first writing was for radio.

About the Competition

The competition is open to anyone who is resident outside of Britain to write a 60-minute radio drama for up to six characters. There are two categories: one for writers with English as their first language and one for writers with English as their second language.

The play must be in English, unpublished and must not have been previously produced in any medium. Whether you're experienced, new, or somewhere in between, we want to hear from you.

PLEASE NOTE: This competition is now closed so entries are no longer being accepted