A renowned journalist and broadcaster has been announced as the chair of a prestigious playwriting competition.

Naga Munchetty will be the chair of the judging panel for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2025.

The competition, which is in its 20th year, will have a prize pot of £50,000, with the overall winner set to receive £20,000.

The other awards include the Judges Award of £10,000, the International Award of £10,000, and the North West Original New Voice Award of £10,000, which also includes a funded year-long residency at the Royal Exchange.

Ms Munchetty said: "My longstanding relationship with the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, which began when I hosted the award ceremony in 2017, is incredibly special to me.

"I am thrilled to be chair of the judging panel as it celebrates its 20th year of championing vibrant new work.

"New writing is vital to the ecosystem of theatre, and everyone has a unique and exciting story to tell - I can't wait to get reading."

The competition is open to writers of any background and experience, who can anonymously enter their original new work for the chance to win part of the prize fund.

Submissions opened at 12pm on Wednesday, October 25.

The other judges on the panel include Selina Cartmell, Phoebe Eclair-Powell, Conor McPherson, Amit Sharma, Shobna Gulati, Cherylee Houston, and Munya Chawawa.

Selina Cartmell, creative director of the Royal Exchange Theatre, said: "I am thrilled to be part of such a distinguished panel of judges to mark the 20th anniversary of the iconic Bruntwood Prize.

"This partnership between the Royal Exchange Theatre and Bruntwood embodies a commitment to supporting artists and creating unique opportunities for writers and communities to feel empowered, to share their stories and to transform lives.

"We need writers more than ever, to make us think and feel differently, to shift perspectives and paradigms with bold, brave and vital stories."

Since its inception in 2005, the Bruntwood Prize has supported thousands of people to write plays and has launched the careers of some of the UK's most respected and celebrated playwrights including Anna Jordan, Duncan Macmillan, Janice Okoh, and Alistair McDowall.