PAGE International Screenwriting Awards
Contest · 2026Prestige 85/100Feedback included
Long-running US contest with a $25K Grand Prize and 10 genre categories across feature, short, and TV pilots.
Deadlines & fees
Closed for this cycle
The 2026 contest is closed. Entries for the 2027 PAGE Awards open on 1 December.
Dates and fees checked against the official site 14 Jul 2026.
Entry categories
Feature
Feature · Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family Film, Historical Film, Science Fiction, Thriller/Horror · up to 120 pages
Base phase fee applies. Additional genre sub-categories may be added at $20 each (up to 2 extras).
Short
Short · all · up to 30 pages
Automatic $5 discount off the listed phase fee (i.e. $84 at Final).
TV Pilot
TV Pilot · up to 75 pages
Original pilot episodes only — no spec scripts for existing series. Optional supplementals allowed (recurring character list, future episode summaries).
Key facts
- Formats
- Feature, TV Pilot, Short
- Genres
- Action, Fantasy, History, Adventure, Animation, Horror, Mystery, Comedy, Romance, Crime, Sci-Fi, Sport, Drama, Thriller, War, Family, Western
- Required materials
- Completed screenplay or teleplay as a non-password-protected PDF · Title page with script title only (no writer name or contact info anywhere in the script; WGA registration number optional) · Standard spec screenplay/teleplay format, 12pt Courier · Entry form (category selection, contact details, payment) · Optional: for musicals, a link to the music; for TV pilots, supplementals (recurring character list, future episode summaries)
* Writers must be 18+ on the date of submission * Writer (or writing team combined) must not have earned more than $50,000 USD (or foreign equivalent) for work as a screenwriter and/or fictional TV writer * Scripts must be original and wholly owned/controlled by the author on the submission date * Scripts currently optioned, sold, produced, or otherwise encumbered by a third party at submission are ineligible; scripts optioned/sold/produced after submission remain eligible * Adaptations of another writer's work are not accepted; self-adaptations are eligible only if all film and TV rights are retained * Previous PAGE prize-winning scripts are ineligible to resubmit * No novels, short stories, stage plays, treatments, synopses, reality-show concepts, or spec scripts for existing TV series * Scripts exceeding 135 pages (excluding title page) will be disqualified * All scripts must be submitted in English; entry fees must be paid in US dollars * PAGE/Production Arts Group judges, sponsors, administrators, contractors, and their immediate family members are not eligible * Entries are final: no refunds, no mid-contest draft substitutions (Semi-Finalists may submit an updated draft free of charge for the final two rounds) * Short Film category entries (30 pages or less) receive an automatic $5 discount off the listed phase fee * Additional genre categories may be added to an entry for $20 each (up to two extra)
Prizes
Grand Prize * $25,000 cash (selected from all Finalists across the 10 genre categories) * Free tuition to a Nostos Screenwriting Retreat in Tuscany, Italy * InkTip Pro Membership, Stage 32 Promo Package, 10 pitches on Virtual Pitch Fest (VPF) * Amazon, Office Depot, and Starbucks gift certificates Category Prizes (awarded in each of the 10 genre categories — 30 awards total): * Gold Prize: $1,000 cash + InkTip Pro Membership, Stage 32 Promo Package, 3 VPF pitches, gift certificates (Amazon / Office Depot / Starbucks) * Silver Prize: $500 cash + same promotional package (3 VPF pitches) * Bronze Prize: $250 cash + same promotional package (3 VPF pitches) Industry Access & Promotion (all winners): * Press release sent to a list of 5,000+ Hollywood agents, managers, producers, and executives * Active promotional campaign via InkTip, Stage 32, and VPF * Overall pool: 31 awards, $50,000+ total in cash and prizes
Judging
* Fully anonymous — entries identified only by title and an assigned number * Five-round judging structure: Preliminary Round 1 → Preliminary Round 2 (scripts scoring 60+ advance) → Quarter-Final (top 10% of each category) → Semi-Final (top 25 per category) → Final (top 10 per category) * Preliminary judges: professional script readers and story analysts with 3+ years' industry experience * Quarter-Final judges: working screenwriters and screenwriting consultants * Semi-Final judges: Hollywood literary agents, managers, and development executives * Final judges: Hollywood producers and production executives * Scripts scored 1–10 on ten criteria: Premise/Concept, Presentation, Structure, Plot, Pacing, Characters, Dialogue, Theme, Style/Tone, Marketing Potential * Judges are assigned scripts matched to their personal interests and genre expertise * Notification dates: Quarter-Finalists 15 July, Semi-Finalists 15 August, Finalists 15 September, Winners 15 October * Individual scorecards are not shared with entrants
The PreList verdict
PAGE's structure is its best feature: ten genre categories judged separately by working industry professionals, so your comedy is not competing with prestige dramas for one judge's taste. The prize pool is real (a US$25,000 grand prize and 31 awards worth over US$50,000 in total) and PAGE wins have a solid history of leading to representation, especially for TV pilots.
The honest part: it is one of the biggest contests in the world by entry volume, and below the semifinals a placement moves very little. There is no feedback included, so an entry is purely a bet on placing. The fee ladder rewards the organised: US$49 if you enter early against US$89 at the final deadline, which is nearly double for the same read.
Enter if your script sits squarely in a recognisable genre and is ready now, and enter in the first window, not the last. Skip it if you are between drafts or your work lives between categories. The 2026 contest is closed and announcements run through mid-October; entries for the 2027 awards open on 1 December.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 14 Jul 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much does the PAGE Awards cost to enter?
In 2026 fees ran from US$49 at the early deadline to US$89 at the final deadline, with short film scripts US$5 less at each tier. All deadlines fall at 11:59pm Pacific.
When can I enter the 2027 PAGE Awards?
Entries open on 1 December. The 2026 competition is closed, with quarterfinalists announced 15 July and winners on 15 October 2026.
What can I win?
A US$25,000 grand prize and 31 awards worth over US$50,000 in total across ten genre categories, plus judging by working industry professionals.
Is your script right for PAGE International Screenwriting Awards?
Upload your screenplay and The PreList scores how well it fits this contest: genre, format, eligibility and readiness, before you spend anything.
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