2025-2026 Teri Rogers Screenwriting Award

ArtsKC, a leading arts council in the Kansas City region, offers the Teri Rogers Screenwriting Award to support screenwriters in the local community. The organization is dedicated to fostering and promoting the arts throughout the region, and this award is a testament to their commitment to nurturing local talent and encouraging creative storytelling. Each year, ArtsKC selects one script to receive a $1,000 award, with an emphasis on screenplays that highlight Kansas City or the surrounding region, and those that prioritize themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The primary objective of the Teri Rogers Screenwriting Award is to recognize and financially support an original full feature or pilot script from a screenwriter residing in the five-county Kansas City metropolitan area. Eligible counties include Jackson, Clay, and Platte in Missouri, and Johnson and Wyandotte in Kansas. Scripts that vividly represent the Kansas City region or address diverse and inclusive narratives will be given special consideration during the evaluation process. The award not only provides monetary support but also serves to elevate local voices and stories within the screenwriting community. Eligible applicants must be adults aged 18 or older who reside in the designated counties. Each applicant is permitted to submit one original script, either a full feature script of 95-125 pages or a full-length pilot script of 55-65 pages for hour-long pilots or 27-35 pages for half-hour pilots. All submissions must be in PDF format and adhere to current industry formatting standards. Additionally, screenplays are evaluated in a blind review process; therefore, applicants must remove their name and any identifying information from the script. Scripts must be the sole original work of the applicant or applicants, with all necessary rights secured for adaptations based on other works. The application period for the 2025-2026 cycle opens on April 16, 2025, with a virtual information session scheduled for June 18, 2025, at noon via Zoom. The application deadline is set for July 22, 2025, at 11:45 PM. After submission, a committee will convene during August and September 2025 to evaluate applications. Grant decision announcements are expected to be made in September 2025. Applicants should note that they may only receive one ArtsKC grant per fiscal year and cannot apply for both the Teri Rogers Filmmakers Grant and the Teri Rogers Screenwriting Award in the same cycle. Additionally, recent recipients of this award must wait one cycle before reapplying. Evaluation criteria for the Teri Rogers Screenwriting Award include the script's premise, plot, characters, dialogue, relevance to the Kansas City region or its diversity and inclusion themes, and overall presentation. The initial review will focus on the first ten pages of each script, with the top three to five scripts progressing to a finalist round where the full scripts will be read. The committee's funding recommendations are subject to approval by the ArtsKC Board of Directors. The award process emphasizes a fair and transparent selection, ensuring that the chosen recipient's work aligns with the values and objectives of the program. Applications must be submitted through the ArtsKC Grant System. Returning applicants can log in to their existing account, while new applicants must create an account. Support is available from the ArtsKC Grants staff for those encountering technical issues or needing assistance with their user profile. The grant recipient will be required to submit a signed grant agreement and W-9 form to receive the funding. It typically takes about two weeks to process payments after these documents are submitted. The online grant system is compatible with screen reading systems, although it does not feature an in-application screen reader.