[1] Bettina Gorton the wife of prime minister John Gorton was guest of honour at the event held at the Wentworth Hotel in Sydney on 22 March 1968,[2] Also in attendance was Sir Robert Madgwick, chairman of the ABC.
[3] The AWGIES awards ceremony has become a prominent industry event, and has featured many well-known guests of honour and speakers in the past, including: Manning Clark; Ken Hall; Fred Schepisi; Tom Keneally; Gough Whitlam; Paul Keating; and Roy and HG.
[6] In most categories, the awards are given for works for which principal photography, production, or recording was completed in the 2022 calendar year.
As of 2024 (56th Annual AWGIE Awards), the award categories are:[7] The David Williamson Prize for Excellence in Writing for Australian Theatre,[8] named after playwright David Williamson, was established in 2013.
The purpose of the fund is "to encourage theatre companies to commission, develop and program a new Australian work".