Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting
One of the most prestigious screenwriting competitions in the world, awarding up to five $35,000 fellowships annually to emerging screenwriters through the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Overview
The Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting is an international screenwriting competition established in 1986 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The program identifies and encourages talented new screenwriters by awarding up to five $35,000 fellowships each year. The Nicholl Fellowship is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious screenwriting awards available to unproduced writers, and winning or even placing as a finalist can transform a screenwriter's career.
The competition receives over 7,000 entries annually from writers around the world. Scripts are read and evaluated by industry professionals, and the multi-round selection process ensures that winning screenplays have been vetted extensively. Nicholl Fellows are expected to complete a new feature-length screenplay during their fellowship year.
The fellowship has launched the careers of numerous working screenwriters. Placing as a quarterfinalist, semifinalist, or finalist in the Nicholl is itself a meaningful credential that attracts attention from agents, managers, and producers.
What It Covers
Each fellow receives $35,000, disbursed in installments over the fellowship year. Fellows are expected to use the financial support to dedicate time to writing a new feature-length screenplay. The fellowship also provides:
- Industry recognition -- Nicholl Fellows and finalists gain visibility among agents, managers, and producers who actively track the competition results
- Ceremony and networking -- Fellows are honored at a ceremony in Los Angeles attended by Academy members and industry professionals
- Career acceleration -- the Nicholl credential opens doors to representation and development deals
Eligibility
The competition is open to any writer who has not earned more than $25,000 for film or television work. This threshold ensures the fellowship targets emerging rather than established writers. There are no restrictions on age, nationality, or educational background. The screenplay must be an original feature-length work (not an adaptation or based on existing IP) written in English.
How to Apply
Screenwriters submit their work through the Academy's online portal. The entry fee is approximately $85. Submissions open in early spring with a deadline typically in May. Scripts are evaluated in multiple rounds by readers and judges drawn from the film industry. Quarterfinalists, semifinalists, and finalists are announced progressively through the summer and fall.
Who Should Apply
Emerging screenwriters who have completed a feature-length screenplay and have not yet established a professional screenwriting career. Writers from any country writing in English are eligible. The competition rewards strong narrative craft, original voices, and screenplays that demonstrate both technical proficiency and emotional depth.
See Also
For understanding the screenwriting landscape, see Screenwriting Essentials. To explore the business side of screenwriting, visit the Filmmaker Glossary.
