Native American TV Writers Lab
Lab · 2026Prestige 62/100
A virtual writers room ending in meetings with executives and literary representation. Self-identification accepted.
Deadlines & fees
Closed for this cycle
The eleventh annual round closed on 16 February 2026 at 11:59pm Pacific at a fee of 70 dollars, with the lab running April through May 2026. The calendar is consistent: a mid-February final deadline in each of the last two cycles, both falling on a Monday, an April to May lab, and seven fellows selected each time. The pricing has drifted, though: the previous cycle offered a cheaper 60 dollar regular tier alongside the 70 dollar final deadline, and the most recent cycle published only the 70 dollar tier, so the cheaper route disappeared. Curriculum length has also changed from eight weeks to seven.
Dates and fees checked against the official site 9 Aug 2026.
Key facts
- Formats
- TV Pilot
- Eligibility
- 18+
- Required materials
- A completed application · A signed standard release form of up to 3 MB · One writing sample as a PDF of up to 10 MB, with television scripts preferred · A professional biography or resume of up to 3 MB · A statement of interest on why you want to write for television · Two professional references with position, title and contact information · Script name, genre, page count, logline, tribal affiliation and tribe name
Applicants must be 18 or over. Tribal affiliation is required on the application, but enrolment is not: the form accepts either enrolled in tribe or self-identifying, alongside the name of the tribe. Writing teams are ineligible. All submitted material must be original with all rights wholly owned by the writer. The lab is described as being for seasoned writers capable of writing at least a half-hour comedy or one-hour dramatic television script in English within a five-week period. Writing samples may be a feature film, play, television pilot or television spec as a PDF of up to 10 MB, with television scripts preferred; no page limit is published. No citizenship or residency rule is published anywhere, though applications are described as accepted nationwide. If accepted you must commit to meeting online on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings and during the day on Saturdays and Sundays, which is a heavy weekly load.
Prizes
No cash, stipend or grant of any kind is published. The consideration is entirely in kind: the lab itself, feedback from peers and an experienced writing instructor, a simulated television writers room, and meetings with executives and literary representation from industry partners. Roughly seven fellows per cycle. Note that the alliance runs a separate Writers Accelerator Grant, which is a different vehicle and not part of this lab. RIGHTS: every applicant must upload a signed standard release form, and it is a real one. It warrants your sole ownership; permits use of any part of the submitted material that is not novel, original or legally protected without liability; states the alliance is under no obligation to you except under a later fully executed written agreement; and includes an idea-similarity waiver under which you accept no compensation if the alliance uses material similar to yours that it had access to or created independently. There is no option, no first refusal, no exclusivity and no transfer of copyright. One flag: the release form served with the current cycle is a file dated 2024.
Judging
Instructors and selectors are not named, described only as an experienced writer with industry credits and seasoned writing professionals. Around seven fellows have been selected in each of the last three cycles. Feedback goes to fellows only, from peers and the writing instructor, and nothing is offered to unsuccessful applicants, so the fee buys consideration alone. Two internal inconsistencies are worth knowing: the alliance's own pages variously give the cohort as approximately ten, a minimum of seven and a total of eight, while the named fellows have numbered seven in each of the last three years; and the curriculum is described as five weeks, seven weeks and eight weeks across different pages. Its published partner list also differs across four pages, variously naming Comcast NBCUniversal, Netflix, Walt Disney, the Weingart Foundation, United Talent Agency, the Golden Globes Foundation and others.
The PreList verdict
A virtual writers room ending in meetings with executives and literary representation from partners that have included Comcast NBCUniversal, Netflix and Walt Disney. Around seven fellows, each completing an original pilot under an experienced instructor, with group work, one-to-ones and a simulated room. Eleven years running. For a Native writer with television ambitions this is the most direct route to industry contact we have found, and it is fully remote so there is no travel cost.
Two things make it more accessible than it looks. Tribal affiliation is required on the application, but enrolment is not: self-identification is explicitly accepted alongside enrolled status. And there is no published citizenship or residency rule at all, though applications are described as nationwide.
The honest part is the load and the cost. Seventy dollars to apply, which is the only paid entry among the free routes we list alongside it, and there is no feedback for unsuccessful applicants, so the fee buys consideration alone. If accepted, the commitment is heavy: Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings plus daytime Saturdays and Sundays, for a curriculum of somewhere between five and eight weeks depending which of the alliance's pages you read. Their own pages also disagree on the cohort size, giving ten, seven and eight, while the actual named fellows have been seven each year for three years. And every applicant signs a release with an idea-similarity waiver, which is standard industry practice but worth reading. There is no option or transfer of copyright.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 9 Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be an enrolled tribal member?
No. The application requires tribal affiliation and the name of your tribe, but offers two options: enrolled in tribe or self-identifying. Self-identification is explicitly accepted.
What does it cost and what do I get for it?
Seventy dollars to apply, the only tier published for the most recent cycle after a cheaper 60 dollar regular tier disappeared. There is no feedback for unsuccessful applicants, so the fee buys consideration only. There is no stipend for fellows either.
How much time does it take?
A lot. Fellows must commit to meeting online on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings and during the day on both Saturdays and Sundays. The curriculum is described as five, seven and eight weeks on different pages, so confirm before committing.
What does the release form ask for?
It warrants that you own your material, permits use of anything in it that is not novel, original or legally protected, and includes an idea-similarity waiver meaning you accept no compensation if the alliance uses similar material it created independently. There is no option, first refusal or transfer of copyright.
Is your script right for Native American TV Writers Lab?
Upload your screenplay and The PreList scores how well it fits this lab: genre, format, eligibility and readiness, before you spend anything.
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