THE HUMANITAS PRIZES

 
 

Since 1974, The Humanitas Prizes have been awarded to honor professional film and television writers whose work exemplifies the art of screenwriting while exploring the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way. The Humanitas Prizes are presented at an annual fall event where winners receive a trophy and a cash prize.

Past winners include Pachinko, Origin, All in the Family, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Last of Us, ER, Hidden Figures, black-ish, Encanto, Good Will Hunting, Fellow Travelers, Lady Bird, In the Same Breath, Black Cake, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, El Deafo, Hacks, The Bernie Mac Show, Orange is the New Black, NYPD Blue, 13th, and many more.

Humanitas Prize Submissions will open at 10:00 AM PT on Tuesday, February 18 and close at 11:59 PM PT on Tuesday, April 1.

All submissions must be made using the portal linked below.

REQUIRED SUBMISSION MATERIALS: 

  • Completed entry form

  • PDF of shooting script with writing credits redacted or documentary upload

  • Writer(s) short bio (200 words or less)

  • Submission fee

    • $175 for features, teleplays, and documentary submissions

      • $50 discount is available for projects without distribution and for writers submitting material themselves. This discount can be applied for using this form.

    • $55 for short film

ELIGIBLE CATEGORIES:

  • Drama Teleplay

  • Comedy Teleplay

  • Children’s Teleplay

  • Limited Series Teleplay

  • Comedy Feature

  • Drama Feature

  • Family Feature

  • Short Film

  • Documentary

    • Feature-length and Docuseries (single episode) are awarded separately

Please view The Humanitas Prizes FAQ for descriptions of each category. 

GENERAL DETAILS:

  • Humanitas does not consider unproduced or unreleased projects for Humanitas Prizes. 

  • All scripts must have been produced and the final feature film, television episode, or short film, either live action or animated, must have been released in the United States between June 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025.

    • “Released” is defined here as a festival screening (including screenings/showcases which serve as the culminating event of a professional development program), theatrical distribution, a streaming launch, or broadcast or cable televising of the project. 

    • Projects released between April 1, 2024 and May 31, 2024 may apply for a release window eligibility waiver if the project was not previously submitted for Humanitas Prize consideration. Waivers may be requested using this form.

  • It is not required that the production and/or writer(s) be based in the United States.

  • All submitted material is kept confidential. Nominated material will be submitted to the Writers Guild Foundation Shavelson-Webb Library unless otherwise indicated in the submission form. The library endeavors to collect scripts which represent the best in film/television writing, including those nominated for the Humanitas Prize. Scripts are never photocopied, put online, or otherwise distributed beyond the library. Patrons must visit in-person to read material.

  • There is no limit to the number of scripts writers, studios, and production companies may submit.

  • Submitted material must be written in English. English translations of material originally written in another language will be accepted.

  • TV movies should be submitted under the Drama Feature, Comedy Feature, or Family Feature categories.

  • Should a writing team be selected, cash prizes will be split evenly amongst the writers.

  • If nominated for a Humanitas Prize, a video clip from the completed production will be requested.

TELEPLAY DETAILS:

  • Categories recognize single episodes, not a full series nor a full series compiled into a single document. 

  • To provide context for Humanitas Prize judges, the application form includes an optional section where applicants may add additional story and character information. It is strongly encouraged that this section be utilized.

  • In Children’s Teleplay, if a program airs two episodes in a half-hour block, each episode is treated as its own script. Combined scripts are not eligible.

  • If episodes from the same series are submitted to two different categories, Humanitas reserves the right to move the submissions to the same category.

SHORT FILM DETAILS:

  • Short film running times must not exceed 40 minutes. Projects longer than this are considered features.

  • Submissions to the short film category should be for scripted projects. Documentary shorts are not eligible for the short film category.

DOCUMENTARY DETAILS:

  • In lieu of a script, documentary entrants must submit digital video content via direct file upload or as a link via YouTube, Vimeo, or other video hosting service. If the link is password protected, please be sure to list the password in the correct field in the application and ensure the link will be active until August 1, 2024.

  • Feature-length documentaries and individual episodes of docuseries are eligible for consideration.

    • Feature-length documentaries are defined as standalone units of nonfiction filmmaking that are not part of a series and have a running time that exceeds 40 minutes. Feature-length documentaries may have a release via a festival screening (including screenings/showcases which serve as the culminating event of a professional development program), theatrical distribution, a streaming launch, or broadcast or cable televising of the project. 

    • Docuseries episodes are defined as a unit of nonfiction filmmaking of any length which is part of series that airs via a broadcast channel, cable channel, or streaming service. Docuseries may or may not be serialized. There is no minimum number of episodes required to qualify as a docuseries. Two part docuseries should submit one episode.

  • To provide context for Humanitas Prize judges reviewing material submitted to the Docuseries category, the application form includes an optional section where applicants may add additional story and character information. It is strongly encouraged that this section be utilized.

  • Unless they are submitted separately, Judges will only review one episode of a docuseries. If an applicant provides a link to a full docuseries and does not specify an episode in the application, only the first episode will be viewed.

  • Broadcast news segments, variety show segments, and documentary shorts are not eligible for the documentary categories.

TO SUBMIT:

  • Please submit script and materials via our Awards Force web portal on or before April 1, 2025.

  • It is strongly preferred applicants pay the submission fee by selecting the appropriate credit card option at check out. Alternative payment via wire transfer, check, or e-payment service (e.g.: Square or PayPal) can be arranged by selecting the “invoice” option at check out and contacting Humanitas at info@humanitasprize.org.

  • Humanitas has a limited number of submission fee waivers it can offer annually. Please use this form to request a fee waiver if cost presents a barrier to entry.

If you have any other questions, please contact Humanitas at info@humanitasprize.org or view our FAQ .

HUMANITAS PRIZES SUPPORT

The Humanitas Prizes were formed in 1974 and have been supported through fundraising efforts overseen by Humanitas's leadership over the course of the program’s history. This activity is funded in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency. Submission fees are used to cover administrative costs. Funds raised at the annual The Humanitas Prizes event are used to support this and our other charitable programs.

QUESTIONS?

Please email us at info@humanitasprize.org or use the form below.