Awards
Newly Created Godfather Prize Will Recognize Asian American Playwrights
The new annual award has been created by the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists.
March 11, 2026 By Meg Masseron
The Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) has created a new national, annual award for playwrights: The Godfather Prize for Playwriting. Each year, the award will honor one Asian American, Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI), South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA), Middle East and North Africa (MENA), or mixed-race playwright, as well as six to eight finalists.
Each winner will receive a $1,000 cash reward, a full staged reading of a play of the playwright's choice presented online and/or in partnership with one of CAATA's affiliated network theatres, and a free full pass to CAATA's ConFest 2028.
Finalists will be invited to participate in CAATA’s 10-Minute Playwriting Festival, with their 10-minute play is being presented in a live-streamed festival presentation, and will also receive a $200 honorarium for festival participation, pairing with a director and/or dramaturg, professional actors and rehearsal support, eligibility for the final Godfather Prize selection, and a free Full Pass to CAATA’s ConFest 2028.
For its first year, prize founder Roger W. Tang will match every donation dollar-for-dollar, up to $30,000. All funds raised will go directly toward increasing the prize and supporting the Playwriting Festival. Contributions will be accepted through CAATA’s dedicated Playwright Festival fund.
CAATA invites playwrights who identify as Asian American, AANHPI, SWANA, MENA, or mixed-race theatre to submit for consideration for the Godfather Prize. Submissions will be reviewed through a multi-round, anonymized process. The submission portal will open on March 2, 2026, and will remain open until April 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST, or until the first 200 eligible submissions are received.
The submission must include one original 10-minute play built for one to four actors that aligns with the theme of ConFest 2028: "Legacy. Resistance. Evolution.", as well as a personal artist statement of 250 to 300 words.
Submissions are open to all ages. To be considered, a playwright must also have not received a major national or international playwriting award, have not had a play produced by a LORT or commercial theater, and have not achieved sustained national recognition.
As a collective of Asian American, AANHPI, SWANA, MENA, and mixed-race theatre artists and leaders, CAATA seeks to celebrate the vitality of its communities while working towards
shared values of social justice, cultural equity, artistic diversity, and inclusion.
For more information, visit here.
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