The Ryan Hudak LGBTQ+ Dramatic Writing Award

The 2025 Ryan Hudak LGBTQ+ Dramatic Writing Award is a prestigious opportunity administered by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). This $8,000 cash grant honors the legacy of Ryan Hudak, a gay playwright, theater maker, and filmmaker who was also a valued NYFA staff member. He passed away in May 2022 at the age of 32. The award is dedicated to supporting the artistic endeavors of one playwright or screenwriter who identifies as LGBTQ+ and is currently residing in New York State. The primary objective of this award is to provide financial support and professional recognition to LGBTQ+ dramatic writers based in New York. It is intended to foster the continued development of their artistic work. The grant is not project-specific; instead, it acknowledges past and ongoing work, aiming to support artists actively engaged in creating new content. Applicants must submit completed work samples that demonstrate their artistic vision and capabilities. Eligible applicants must be working playwrights or screenwriters producing works such as stage plays, screenplays, teleplays, libretti, radio plays, or audio dramas. They must be at least 25 years old, a New York State resident for at least 12 months at the time of application, and not enrolled in any degree-seeking program. Past NYFA grant recipients are eligible unless they have previously received this specific award. NYFA employees, board members, advisory committee members, and their immediate families are not eligible to apply. Applications must include a work sample consisting of a manuscript (up to 20 pages), a title page, a synopsis, and optionally, a character sheet. In addition, two support statements are required: an Artist Statement detailing the applicant’s creative practice and an Impact Statement explaining how the award would affect their career. The manuscript must be in English, double-spaced or in script format, and submitted as a PDF. The review process involves a peer panel that assesses submissions based on artistic merit, the potential impact of the award, and the clarity and relevance of supporting statements. The application must be submitted online via Submittable, and the portal will close automatically at the deadline. No late submissions are accepted, and applicants are advised to apply early to avoid technical issues. The application period opens on April 25, 2025, at 10:00 AM ET and closes on June 17, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET. Notification of the award decision will be made in Fall 2025. Interested applicants can direct their questions to the resources provided on the Ryan Hudak LGBTQ+ Dramatic Writing Award webpage.