Yesterday (Wednesday, 27 May 2026), it was announced from the stage of the White Pavilion at Eisteddfod yr Urdd Ynys Môn that Glain Llwyd from Tal-y-bont near Aberystwyth is the winner of the Drama Medal.
This year the competitors were required to write a play or monologue suitable for staging in a theatrical space for 1, 2 or 3 performers (not necessarily characters), for a duration of between 15-30 minutes.
According to the judges, Gareth Evans-Jones and Mared Llywelyn, 15 plays were received in a “fiercely competitive contest,” with every script described as “interesting and distinctive,” with the judges enjoying reading each and every one.
Glain is 21 years old and has been living in Cardiff since she graduated from the BA Performance course at Wales Academy of Voice & Dramatic Arts. Eisteddfod yr Urdd has been an important part of her life since she first competed at the age of six. Glain is a member of Cwmni Theatr yr Urdd (Urdd Theatre Company) and in August she will play one of the leading roles in the musical Calon at the Wales Millennium Centre.
Glain said: “I’ve been performing on stage from a young age, as a member of Aberystwyth Arts Centre Youth Theatre, Arad Goch drama clubs, and at Tafwyl and the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol as part of the pop group, Diffiniad.
“I’d like to thank Mam and Dad for encouraging me to compete and to write, my sister Miri for giving her honest opinion on the script before it was sent to the competition, and Jarvis Cocker from Pulp for inspiring my pen name for the competition!”
The judges said: “This is a playwright who is comfortable and mature; the idea is simple, but it unfolds through gradual revelations, playful and vivid dialogue. It is a play that balances intensity and seriousness effectively, leaving behind a warm, hopeful feeling without being overly sentimental.”
Second place went to Siriol Haf Ousey from Rhyl, with Lleucu Angharad Hughes from Llanuwchllyn was in third.
Glain received a special medal created by jeweller Rhiannon from Tregaron. The Medal is given in memory of the actress and producer Audrey Mechell, by her daughters Linda and Sandra, and her grandchildren Elin, Gwen, Glesni and Cai.
Glain’s work will be published by Cyhoeddiadau’r Stamp Publications immediately after the ceremony. It will be available to buy in booklet form at the Eisteddfod, from the Urdd or Awen Menai stalls or from local bookshops across Wales. Chloe Swinburn, the winner of the Art Scholarship at the Urdd Eisteddfod Dur a Môr 2025, created the artwork for the booklet this year.
The work of the main bard will be published tomorrow, and the main literary award on Friday (if there are worthy winners).
The first, second and third place winners in the competition will have the opportunity to attend the Olwen Course at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre in memory of Olwen Dafydd, thanks to the support of the Olwen Griffith Trust. They will also receive a year of mentorship and development opportunities with Theatr Cymru, as a Young Resident Playwright and undertaking further training with the BBC.
