About Us

The HUMANITAS Prize is an annual screenwriter's award founded in 1974 to encourage, stimulate and sustain the nation's screenwriters in their humanizing task, and to give them the recognition they deserve.

FAQs

What is the HUMANITAS prize?
The HUMANITAS Prize is an annual screenwriter's award founded in 1974 to encourage, stimulate and sustain the nation's screenwriters in their humanizing task, and to give them the recognition they deserve. The winners are given both a trophy and a cash award. The total amount of the awards is $155,000 and is divided up into the following nine categories:

The HUMANITAS Prize has awarded over 2.8 million dollars to deserving writers.

What kind of stories are honored?
The HUMANITAS Prize honors stories that affirm the dignity of the human person, probe the meaning of life, and enlighten the use of human freedom. The stories reveal common humanity, so that love may come to permeate the human family and help liberate, enrich and unify society.

How is HUMANITAS funded?
The HUMANITAS Prize is funded by an endowment established through the generosity of individuals, networks, studios and foundations. It is incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, The Human Family Educational and Cultural Institute.

Who are the HUMANITAS Board Members?
The HUMANITAS Board of Directors are John Wells, Frank Desiderio, C.S.P., John Furia, Jr., Marshall Herskovitz, John Sacret Young, Steven Zaillian and Edward Zwick. <Board Info>

Who are some of the past winners?
Past winners of the Humanitas Prize include Alan Alda (M*A*S*H), Gary David Goldberg (Family Ties), Steven Bochco (Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue), David Milch (NYPD Blue), David E. Kelley (Picket Fences), Hume Cronyn (The Dollmaker), Horton Foote (William Faulkner's Old Man), Anna Sandor (Miss Rose White, My Louisiana Sky), Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List), Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting), Tim Robbins (Dead Man Walking), Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing), and Keir Pearson & Terry George (Hotel Rwanda).

How does one qualify?
Any member of the production team may submit a produced script.

A Teleplay must have been written and produced in the English language for U.S. television. News and documentaries are not eligible. Material adapted from another medium may be eligible if, in the opinion of the judges, the adaptation is extensive.  Such a program must have had a national telecast.

A Screenplay for an English language feature film becomes eligible in the year in which it receives a national release.

In the Sundance Feature Film Category, an English language screenplay becomes eligible in the year in which the film is screened at the Sundance Film Festival.  A feature length screenplay accepted into the Sundance Filmmakers Lab becomes eligible the year that the film is produced as a feature film.

For HUMANITAS, the season runs from April 2 of the current year to April 1 of the following year.  All entries must be postmarked by April 1.

There is no entry fee or limit to the number of submissions.

What is the David and Lynn Angell Comedy Fellowship?
The fellowship was created to honor David and Lynn Angell. David was a prolific writer and producer, beginning on the staff of Paramount's Cheers and going on to co-create Wings and Frasier. Lynn provided the opportunity for David to pursue writing. She supported his efforts by working as an educator and librarian. The Angells were aboard Flight #11, the first plane to hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Submissions for the David & Lynn Angell Student Comedy Fellowship are submitted through Universities only.  For more information, contact your school or the HUMANITAS prize.

The winner receives a $10,000 stipend.

What is the Student Drama Fellowship?
The HUMANITAS Student Drama Fellowship is awarded annually to an individual who is completing an undergraduate or graduate writing program. The fellowship is designed to give a deserving writer a $10,000 stipend. It is a goal of the fellowship to nurture writers who can create television programs that are both rich in values and commercially successful. Submissions for the Student Drama Fellowship are submitted through Universities only. For more information, contact your school or the HUMANITAS prize.

The winner receives a $10,000 stipend.

In what other activities is the prize involved?
Throughout the year, the HUMANITAS Prize serves as a resource for writers through on-going educational programs. These included Master Writers Workshops which bring together some of television’s most accomplished writers and producers to offer their insights and share their experiences. Panel discussions that explore the challenges and pitfalls of creating provocative entertainment programs that tackle difficult social issues with intelligence and honesty are also offered. To join our mailing list please email us at HumanitasMail@aol.com.