Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting

Contest · 2026Prestige 90/100

The Academy's flagship feature-screenplay fellowship: five US$35,000 awards for emerging writers.

Deadlines & fees

Submission DeadlineNext deadline
20 Jul 2026America/Los_Angeles$100

Dates and fees checked against the official site 14 Jul 2026.

Key facts

Formats: Feature
Genres: Action, Adventure, Animation, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Documentary, Drama, Family, Fantasy, History, Horror, Music, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sport, Thriller, War, Western
Page limit: 125 pages
Required materials: Feature screenplay PDF with the writer's name removed (anonymous) · Logline (entries without a logline may be disqualified) · Correct writer and team details · Confirmation of rights to the material

Non-professional writers only: lifetime earnings for film or TV writing must not exceed US$25,000 before the competition ends. Writers must be 18 or over and entries may not be AI-generated. Original English-language feature, 80 to 125 pages, in standard screenplay format. One entry per writer across all portals. A writer recommended by a partner cannot be recommended in consecutive years.

Prizes

Up to five fellowships of US$35,000 each, paid over the fellowship year. Individualised Academy member mentorship and an invitation to Academy Awards week ceremonies and seminars. Fellows complete at least one original feature screenplay during the fellowship year.

Judging

Anonymous, blind read with no identifying information on the script. The Writers Guild Foundation public portal uses a three-stage read (opening section, then a deeper partial, then a full read) and recommends up to 20 scripts to the Academy. Academy members select 10 finalists, then up to five fellows. Notifications land in September, with fellows announced in spring 2027. On the WGF portal the entry fee is US$100 for the first 750 submissions, rising to US$120 thereafter, capped at 2,000 entries overall.

The PreList verdict

If you only ever enter one screenwriting competition, this is the one. The Nicholl is run by the Academy itself, the read is blind, and the fellowship is designed to buy you a year of writing: up to five fellows receive US$35,000 each, mentorship from Academy members, and a seat at Awards week. Unlike most contests, a Nicholl placement, even quarterfinalist, is a signal industry people actually recognise.

The honest part: the odds are brutal. Entries are capped in the thousands, there is no feedback, and only features qualify. The amateur rule cuts both ways too. If you have earned more than US$25,000 writing for screen or TV in your lifetime you are ineligible, which keeps the field genuinely emerging but also means you cannot come back once your career starts.

Since 2026 entries run through two partner portals rather than Coverfly. The Black List window closed in early July; the Writers Guild Foundation portal stays open until 20 July at 5pm Pacific, with tiered fees and a hard cap of 2,000 scripts, so it can close early. Enter early in the window, not on deadline day.

Enter if your feature is genuinely finished and you are still unrepresented. Skip it if the script needs another draft: with no feedback and one shot a year, a premature entry buys you nothing.

Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 14 Jul 2026

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Nicholl Fellowship cost to enter?

For 2026, entry via the Writers Guild Foundation portal is US$100 for the first 750 submissions and US$120 after that. The portal is capped at 2,000 scripts, so it can close before the 20 July deadline.

Who is eligible for the Nicholl?

Writers aged 18 or over whose lifetime earnings from film or TV writing are US$25,000 or less. Entries must be original, English-language features of 80 to 125 pages, and AI-generated material is not allowed.

What do Nicholl fellows actually receive?

Up to five fellowships of US$35,000, paid across the fellowship year, with individual mentorship from Academy members. Fellows are expected to complete a new feature screenplay during the year.