Internationally famous screenwriter Craig Pearce wins Lifetime Achievement Award at 49th Annual AWGIE Awards

15 October, 2016

Friday 14 October 2016

Craig Pearce, one of Australia’s most successful screenwriters, has been presented with the 2016 Australian Writers’ Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his major contribution to the Australian screen industry over more than 30 years.Pearce, who has worked extensively with Australian director Baz Luhrmann, co-wrote some of Australian cinema’s most loved and iconic films which have gone on to win national and international awards.Speaking from Wales where he is working on the production of his new TV series about the early life of William Shakespeare, Pearce said it is a great honour to win such a prestigious award.He said of winning the Lifetime Achievement Award, which is selected by his writing peers, “I’m humbled and it is a huge honour particularly to be getting this award from fellow writers.”Pearce’s films have won countless accolades, including an AFI award for best screenplay (Strictly Ballroom), a BAFTA award for best adapted screenplay (Romeo + Juliet), a WGA nomination for best original screenplay (Moulin Rouge) and eight Academy Award nominations, including best film (Moulin Rouge).Pearce also co-wrote with Baz Luhrmann The Great Gatsby. In 2010, Universal Studios released Pearce’s adaptation of Charlie St. Cloud starring Zac Efron.Pearce will be officially presented the Lifetime Achievement Award tonight [Friday 14 October 2016] by Bruce Meagher from Foxtel, sponsor of the Award, from the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney.Australian Writers’ Guild president and Oscar-nominated Shine screenwriter Jan Sardi said Pearce has received the Award in recognition of his integral role creating some of Australia’s most critically and commercially successful movies.“Now he is blazing his own trail internationally with the major miniseries Will, based on the life of William Shakespeare, which he has written and is now in production in Wales,’’ Sardi said.“Craig stands alone as one of Australia’s most distinctive voices and successful screenwriters,” he said.Commencing in 2015, the Lifetime Achievement Award recognises writers who have made a significant contribution to the Australian screen industry. The Award celebrates the achievements of Australia’s most revered and admired writers, those who have achieved critical and commercial success throughout their career and made significant contributions to our national film culture.The Award is decided by a unanimous vote of the 13-members of the Australian Writers’ Guild National Executive Committee who are all professional writers.The inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Laura Jones at the National Screenwriters’ Conference in March 2016.Jones was honoured by an impressive list of speakers, including Claudia Karvan, Sandra Levy, Bridget Ikin, Samatha Lang, Barbara Masel, her agent Kate Richter and Jane Campion.The Australian Writers’ Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award is sponsored by Foxtel.For all media enquiries and interview requests with any AWGIE Award winners, please contact:NIX Co | Nicholas Cheetham | Communications Manager + 61 2 8399 0626