Currently 14 active prizes and awards open to applicants in Worldwide, across AI, arts, film, journalism, research, tech and cross-disciplinary practice. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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The Judson-Morrissey Excellence in New Media Award (JMEM) is the New Media Caucus's scholarship program supporting BIPOC students in new media art fields. It gives multiple unrestricted monetary awards of up to USD 500 each, funded through donor contributions, and features awardees in an NMC Header/Footer Gallery exhibition and a digitally published interview. ELIGIBILITY: BIPOC undergraduate and graduate students working as artists, practitioners, historians and/or critics in new media art. TO APPLY: submit the Google Form with an application letter (max 500 words), a 100-200 word biography, and either 3-5 artwork samples or 2-3 writing samples. DEADLINE: 8 November 2026, 11:59 PM EST. Questions to NMC co-president Chanhee Choi.
Zoud GameLab is a month-long virtual game jam run by Global Game Jam and Zoud, the UAE's national financial wellbeing initiative, under the theme Make FinLit Fun. Participants build a game that integrates financial literacy in a meaningful way; this is part of the judging criteria, and a scoring rubric is published on the jam page. WHO: anyone aged 18 or over by 15 November 2026, anywhere in the world; solo developers, teams of any size and studios, each member registering individually. Prior Global Game Jam participation is not required. WHAT YOU GET: a share of up to USD 140,000 in prizes and development-support funding; entrants who want to be considered for development funding submit the game, a concept or design document, a two-minute gameplay video and a game budget. A pre-jam learning programme of webinars, resources and expert sessions ran from September. APPLICATION: register and submit on itch.io (and the Global Game Jam Discord). DEADLINE: 15 November 2026 at 23:59 anywhere on earth (the itch.io counter may show 16 November in some time zones).
The Fondation Francois Schneider's Talents Contemporains competition, in its 16th edition, supports contemporary creation on the theme of WATER. Submissions can be a project for an installation or sculpture, or an existing unique work in painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, photography, video, textile art or other fine and visual arts; performing arts and music are excluded. A Grand Jury (chaired by international museum figures) designates 4 to 7 laureates. WHAT YOU GET: EUR 15,000 per laureate as a merit prize and official acquisition of the artwork (EUR 8,000 for editioned works); installation and sculpture projects share up to EUR 50,000 in production assistance (existing works get no production budget); plus an exhibition at the foundation's centre in Wattwiller, a bilingual publication, inclusion in the collection and a video portrait. ELIGIBILITY: visual artists of all nationalities, of legal age, with a solid professional background and/or an art school degree and a recent continuous track record over the past five years (exhibitions, publications or residencies); one artwork or project per candidate per year. Applications in French (French speakers) or English (all others), via the foundation's online platform. DEADLINE: 22 November 2026.
Open call for a 7-minute projection mapping on the Karlsruhe palace facade, on the 2027 festival theme Playground (The Art of Playing). For artists, designers, studios and collectives working in projection mapping; ZKM provides curatorial and technical coaching. APPLICATION (German or English, via the ZKM web form https://webform.zkm.de/form/bbbank-award-2027): concept or storyboard description (max 2,000 characters), a 5-second media check file following the technical guidelines, a short bio (max 1,000 characters) and a portrait photo. CONDITIONS: concepts must not have won other prizes or been submitted to comparable competitions (this is a separate call from the dm-Award connecting worlds at the same festival); finalists perform the work exclusively at SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE; winners must attend the award ceremony. Deadline 25 November 2026, 1 pm CET.
The European Media Art Festival (EMAF) in Osnabrueck invites submissions for its 2027 edition in three sections: Film (experimental films of all lengths and any theme), Installation (installative, interactive, spatial or sculptural media art works) and Expanded (performances, live events or workshops). WHAT YOU GET: all films selected for the International Selection are equal winners of the EMAF Award with EUR 400 prize money each; films in the Features section (over 60 minutes) receive a EUR 250 screening fee; curated programmes pay EUR 80-250 depending on length; installations and expanded projects receive a EUR 500 fee with production costs paid by the festival. Selected artists are invited to the festival with free accreditation, three hotel nights (potentially longer if setting up is required) and a contribution to travel costs. RULES: maximum 2 works per artist; only works completed in 2026 or 2027 are eligible; no premiere status required; works entered at previous editions will not be reconsidered. Films up to 60 minutes are viewed for the International Selection, films over 60 minutes for Features. Installation entries should relate to the 2027 festival theme of the archive (as an instrument of knowledge production, a site of critical intervention and a space for alternative visions of the future); Installation and Expanded entries must include a comprehensive description, tech rider, cost calculation and visual materials. Non-English-language works must have English subtitles for the selection screening. Submit digitally via the EMAF registration portal (no DVDs or physical media). Selection decisions are emailed from mid-March 2027. DEADLINE: the call closes as soon as 2,200 entries have been received, or at the latest on 15 December 2026, so submit early. No entry fee.
A free international short film competition run by Sony, with an Immersive category for 180 and 360 degree work alongside Fiction, Non-Fiction, Animation and Future Format. Films must have been released between 1 January 2025 and 15 December 2026, in English or subtitled. Shortlisted filmmakers attend a programme at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City in June 2027. This is the film competition, not Sony's photography awards. No entry fee.
The Hong Kong International Film Festival, one of Asia's oldest film festivals, is taking submissions for its 51st edition (16-29 March 2027). Categories: feature films (60 minutes plus), short films (20-60 minutes), documentary features and documentary shorts, and the Short Film Competition (any genre, including fiction, documentary, animation and experimental, under 20 minutes). The Young Cinema Competition (first, second or third features, with Chinese-language and World sections) and the Documentary Competition draw on the feature submissions. ELIGIBILITY: completed after 1 January 2026; except Hong Kong productions, not shown in Hong Kong before the festival; English subtitles required for non-English films; films submitted before and not selected are not reconsidered. FEES (late window, 4 November to 31 December 2026): Short Film Competition USD 50 / HKD 390, all other categories USD 80 / HKD 624; documentaries by Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card holders can be waived. Submit online via the HKIFF site or FilmFreeway, or by post with the entry form; screeners by Vimeo link or DVD. Notification by 5 March 2027 (unsuccessful entries are not notified). Contact entries@hkiff.org.hk.
An essay contest run by the development-economics publication In Development and Asterisk Magazine on how transformative AI will affect low- and middle-income countries, and how those countries might respond. Essays can focus on one country, a region or a group of countries; the topic is open, with suggested angles including whether AI drives convergence or divergence between rich and developing countries, labour-market impacts, political economy, the diffusion of health technology, and philanthropic funding from AI companies. Essays should be deeply researched with original analysis; reporting is encouraged but not required. All selected essays are fact-checked and edited before publication. FORMAT: 2,000 to 5,000 words in English, previously unpublished (including on personal blogs or newsletters). Co-authored entries are allowed, but each person may appear on only one entry. AI POLICY: AI may be used for research, for translating an essay written in another language, and for feedback, but submissions containing AI-generated content beyond translation are not accepted. PRIZES: one winner USD 10,000, two runners-up USD 5,000 each, two honourable mentions USD 2,000 each, plus a USD 2,500 African Tech Futures Lab prize for the best essay by an African national. Judges include Clara Collier (Asterisk), Lauren Gilbert (In Development) and Rose Mutiso (African Tech Futures Lab). DEADLINE: 31 December 2026, 11:59 PM Anywhere on Earth, via the Google Form linked from the announcement. Questions: essaycontest@indevelopmentmag.com.
The Stringer Awards give unrestricted, multi-year funding to independent journalists who expose abuses of power, in Senior and Emerging categories. No nationality restriction is stated. No application fee.
Season 2 of the Chroma Awards, a global competition for work made with generative AI tools, across film and TV, advertising, music video, game, behind-the-scenes and student divisions. Any AI tools may be used; projects must have been made after 1 February 2026. No age or country restriction found. Free to enter. Sponsor-driven: the Ad divisions are commercial briefs. Deadline 7 January 2027, 11:45 pm PT.
The 73rd International Short Film Festival Oberhausen (27 April to 2 May 2027), one of the oldest and most influential short film festivals, opens its call for films across five competitions: International (max 35 minutes, produced outside Germany, German festival premiere required), German (max 45 minutes, produced in Germany, no premiere requirement), NRW (max 45 minutes, produced or co-produced in North Rhine-Westphalia), International Children's and Youth Film, and the MuVi Award for music videos produced in Germany (max 15 minutes). ELIGIBILITY: works produced after 1 January 2026; screening formats 35mm, 16mm, Super 8 and DCP (MuVi: DCP). PRIZES: from the EUR 8,000 Grand Prize of the City of Oberhausen and EUR 4,000 Principal Prize through German, NRW, children's/youth, FIPRESCI, Ecumenical and audience prizes, awarded to the directors, plus European Film Awards and ECFA nominations. FEES: the first five submissions per submitter are free of charge; from the sixth, a EUR 20 handling fee per film applies. HOW TO SUBMIT: online entry form with preview link via kurzfilmtage.filmchief.com; selection results announced mid-March 2027. DEADLINE: 18 January 2027 for all competitions (17:00 UTC per the listing), except the MuVi Award: 22 February 2027. No extensions.
An international design competition for students and graduates of up to two years, for concepts that address one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Product, communication, digital and interaction design concepts are all eligible. Free to enter. The official page blocks automated checks; details confirmed via secondary listings, so verify before applying. Deadline 3 February 2027.
WOW is the world's largest wearable-art competition, culminating in a staged show in Wellington, New Zealand, with the 2027 awards night on 17 September 2027. The Kinetic and Avant-garde sections regularly attract technology-driven wearables, making this a natural target for e-textile, robotic and sensor-driven garment work. WHAT YOU GET: a prize pool exceeding NZD 200,000 across 25 awards; in the published 2026 schedule the Supreme WOW Award paid NZD 30,000, the runner-up NZD 15,000 and each section winner NZD 8,000 (the 2027 schedule was not yet posted at the time of listing). KEY DATES: the 2027 section themes are published and entries open in November 2026; international designers must lodge an intention to enter by 11 February 2027 and submit their entry by 25 February 2027 (New Zealand designers: 31 March and 14 April 2027); finished garments ship to New Zealand with a final delivery cut-off of 2 June 2027. ELIGIBILITY: designers worldwide, entering under their own names rather than as a business; teams of up to three allowed; entrants must be 18 or over. There is no entry fee.
Applications for the 2027 Bertha Artivism Awards are open (confirmed 23 September 2026). The awards fund up to USD 20,000 for a one-year activist-art project made in collaboration with a social justice organization, campaign or movement, and the cohort also receives peer exchange and support from the Bertha Foundation network. Open worldwide to artists and collectives across disciplines. IMPORTANT: no closing date is published on the award page, and the cohort starts January 2027, so apply early rather than waiting; the call has historically opened around August and closed in the autumn. TO APPLY: submit the application form linked from the Artivism Awards page at berthafoundation.org.