EXCLUSIVE: The nonprofit organization Humanitas announced Friday the five fellows selected for its 2024 New Voices Fellowship, as well as the winners of the Carol Mendelsohn College Drama Award and the David and Lynn Angell College Comedy Award.
Fellows of the New Voices Fellowship, a six-month mentorship program for aspiring television and screenwriters, include AJ Currie, Lucas Miller, George Pérez, Mads Summerfield and Kim Lee Winslow. As fellows, they are each paired with renowned screenwriters who focus on revising a script submitted for the fellowship in one-on-one mentorship. Past mentors have included Jenny Bicks, Scott Z. Burns, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Steven Canals, Marissa Jo Cerar, Robb Chavis, Tom Fontana, Hart Hanson, Winnie Holzman, Jason Katims, Bill Lawrence, David Shore, Charise Castro Smith, Robin Swicord and many more.
In addition, the Fellows each receive a $7,500 stipend, a three-month membership to MasterClass, headshots, and a free UCLA Extension Writers’ Program course. They also participate in a series of talks and workshops that include professional development support. Past workshop participants have included DJ Nash, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Marshall Herskowitz, and Jay Kogen.
Humanitas also today honored Ina Ycasas, a graduate of the University of Southern California’s BFA Writing for Screen and Television program, with the Carol Mendelsohn College Drama Award. Anushka Thorat, a graduate of Columbia University with a BA in Film and Media Studies and Business Administration, was honored with the David and Lynn Angell College Comedy Award. Each will receive a cash prize of $20,000 and a professional script note-taking session with a writer from the Humanitas community.
In addition, beneficiaries of both programs will receive copies of Final Draft 13, the ability to offer two free reviews on The Black List for one month, a gift from the Michael Wiese Productions book catalog, and an NFMLA membership.
The New Voices Fellowship, the Carol Mendelsohn College Drama Award, and the David and Lynn Angell College Comedy Award will be presented at the Humanitas Prizes on September 12. The event will be held at Avalon Hollywood and hosted by June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer.
Daniel Plagens, Programme Manager at Humanitas, said: “Every year we are lucky to work with an incredible group of readers and each of them responded so warmly to these authors and their projects. We are incredibly proud of AJ, Lucas, George, Mads, Kim, Ina, Anushka and all the finalists and are excited to see what is next for them.”
The Humanitas Awards are attended each year by a select audience of writers, directors, producers, media executives, journalists and philanthropists. The event begins with a cocktail reception and DJ sets by Novena Carmel (KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic), followed by an awards ceremony where winners are announced and give short speeches.
Funds raised at The Humanitas Prizes event provide critical support for The Humanitas Prizes, as well as initiatives such as the New Voices Fellowship, the College Screenwriting Awards, and public programs such as Industry 101, Groceries for Writers, and The Writers Room.
