Grants and Award Programs

Older Awards and Grants that may still be active:

Northeast Region Video Festival, Alliance for Community Media

Entries due*: January
Entry fee: $25
Honors are awarded to first, second and third place winners in more than 20 categories, including Arts and Theater, Community Impact, Local Attractions and Spirituality.

Peabody Awards

Entries due: January
Entry fee: $300
These prestigious awards honor outstanding achievements in TV, cable and radio among seven categories: News, Entertainment, Programs for Children, Education, Documentary, Public Service, and Individuals.

Social Impact Media Awards

Entries due: January
Entry fee: None
Submit a documentary feature or short that reveals injustices, depravation and corruption—or that highlights the people trying to fix these problems. Winners are awarded $500!

Hometown Media Awards, Alliance for Community Media

Entries due: March
Entry fee: $50
The largest competition for public-access programming, these awards honor shows that address community needs, foster involvement and offer viewers a TV experience that breaks from the conventional commercial format.

Smithsonian In Motion Video Contest

Entries due: May
Entry fee: None
Submit videos shorter than 10 minutes and you might win in the category of nature, arts, travel, people or mobile. The judges’ top picks have the chance to win up to $2,000 and be featured in Smithsonian in Motion, the website’s new video series.

Telly Awards

Entries due: May
Entry fee: $95
Decorate your mantle with a Telly statuette for your groundbreaking video work in one of 26 categories, including documentary, travel, comedy and sports.

Documentary Completion Fund, Center for Asian American Media

Application deadline: May
Application Fee: None
An average of $20,000 to $30,000 is awarded to independent producers looking to complete hour-long documentaries intended for public television. A nonprofit dedicated to supporting the broadcast of stories that convey the richness and diversity of the Asian American experience, CAAM offers a number of funding opportunities, which you can read about here.

The Aurora Awards

Entries due: May and November
Entry fee: $75
Choose from literally dozens of categories (you can submit your video to more than one, too!). Past winners say they’ve received significant publicity for the honor.

Bridging Cultures Through Film: International Topics, National Endowment for the Humanities

Applications due: June Application fee: None
Get up to $800,000 to produce a documentary that digs deep into topics like ethics, religion, literature, or history from an international or transnational standpoint. The film can be anywhere from 30 minutes to feature-length.

Public Media Content Fund, Latino Public Broadcasting

Application due: June Application fee: None

Awards range from $5,000 to $100,000 and help fund the pre-, mid-, or post-production process. Programs should be suitable for public broadcast and should relate to or represent Latino Americans.

Open Call, Independent Television Service

Applications due: June 28
Application fee: None
ITVS awards public TV producers up to $350,000 in funding to complete a work-in-progress on any topic. Programs should be 30 to 60 minutes in length, and only independent producers are eligible. Check out the application criteria, and read up on other funding opportunities through ITVS here.

POV, PBS

Entries due: June 28
Entry fee: None
Submit a complete (or near-complete) nonfiction film to PBS for the chance to be included in their annual, nationally broadcasted “POV” series.

Documentary Fund, Sundance Institute

Applications due: July 9
Application fee: None
This fund awards grants up to $50,000 for development, production/post-production and audience engagement for films featuring artful storytelling, global relevance, contemporary social issues and the potential for social engagement.

America’s Media Makers: Development and Production Grants, National Endowment for the Humanities

Applications due: August 14
Application fee: None
Want to reach an audience beyond New York City with your next creative venture? You can be awarded up to $75,000 for the development stage and up to $800,000 for production of a film or TV project that builds on humanities scholarship, encourages dialogue and is intended for a national audience.

Grants & Awards, Cinereach

Application deadline: September
Application fee: None
This nonprofit org, which “champions vital stories, artfully told,” offers grants of $5,000 to $50,000 for a film at any stage of the production process. Check out the Guidelines page for more info.

NYC Digital Waves Youth Media Festival

Entries due: October
Entry fee: None
Producers/filmmakers ages 13 to 23 can enter a multimedia nonfiction piece, and, if chosen, get to compete with other finalists in the festival’s Multimedia Slam Throwdown.

Completion Fund, Frameline

Application deadline: October
Application fee: None
You can get a grant of $1,000 to $5,000 to finish a film that reflects the richness and complexity of LGBT life. Once finished, Frameline-supported films often go on to receive international attention.

TFI Documentary Fund, Tribeca Film Institute

Application deadline: November
Application fee: None
Got an “exceptional, character-driven non-fiction work-in-progress” that you’d love to win a grant for? TFI awards a minimum of $10,000, plus expert guidance.

Visual Effects Society Awards

Entries due: November
Entry fee: $360
Does your show incorporate visual effects? Get recognized by this international society in one of seven broadcast TV categories such as animated characters and compositing.

Public Broadcast Funding, Pacific Islanders in Communications

Application deadline: None
Application fee: None
This org offers up to between $15,000 and $50,000 for research and development, production or completion of a program that sheds light on the Pacific Islander experience and promotes thoughtful dialogue. Shows should be meant for a national public broadcast audience. Get more info from the reference guide.

PUMA Catalyst Award, The BRITDOC Foundation

Application deadline: None
Application fee: None
Win almost $7,000 to fund any stage of a creative documentary on a topic that’s in keeping with the organization’s vision for a sustainable future.

Northside DIY Competition, Northside Film

Submission deadline: March
Submission fee: $12-$25
Win $10,000 in prizes and services for your short or feature-length film.