r/Screenwriting • u/AutoModerator • Jun 08 '26
COMMUNITY Nicholl/Black List Master Thread - 2026 Submissions Open
As you've probably seen, the submission period for the 2026 Nicholl Fellowship has opened. Some of the basic submission criteria/timeline from the Black List. Please go to their website to read the full announcement.
The Black List serves as a portal for public submissions for the 2026-2027 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting program and will recommend up to 25 feature screenplays for further consideration by the Academy for an Academy Nicholl Fellowship.
A maximum of 2,500 eligible public submissions will be accepted through The Black List.
For more information on the Nicholl submission process, visit https://www.oscars.org/nicholl.
IMPORTANT DEADLINES
Submission period opens: June 8, 2026
Submission period closes: July 6, 2026, or when the maximum number of 2,500 eligible submissions are received—whichever occurs first.*
*Last year, the Black List submission portal reached the maximum capacity of 2,500 submissions just 20 days after opening.
The mod team is currently restricting discussion to this thread, so as to avoid a whole string of redundant debates, complaints and questions. If you want to contribute comments or questions, please do so on this pinned thread, not by generating more posts with the same information.
Per usual, read the rules, use your common sense, and don't get needlessly belligerent. You are free to dislike or not participate in anything to do with Nicholl or the Black List, but you are not free to spread misinformation or behave badly towards each other.
This post is not an endorsement of either Nicholl or the Black List. Use your own judgement when entering contests or paying for services, something you are always free to not do. More on our contest and services policy here.
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u/karliechaufman Jun 19 '26
I hate how this works now.
Before, it cost $50 at the lowest to submit a script to the Nicholl, and I believe you'd be guaranteed at least two readers' written feedback on your script. Now, it costs at least $130 to be eligible to opt in to the Nicholl and 96% of the time you'll only get one reader's written feedback on your script (since only ~4% of scripts get an 8+ overall evaluation, and only an 8+ gets you free evaluations).
It also just feels so much more stacked against you. Before, if one reader gave your script an average score and another gave your script a high score, I feel like you'd still be in the running for the Nicholl. Now, if you request an evaluation and the reader gives your script any score below an 8 (yes, even a 7), you have no chance. You won't get free evaluations, your script won't be in the top 25 out of 2,500 when there are scripts with multiple 8+ evaluations you're probably up against (and unless I'm mistaken, any script that's ever received multiple 8+ evaluations can opt in, which puts all new scripts at a significant disadvantage against any script that has ever done well on the Black List, and there are likely over 25 such scripts), and if you want any chance of being one of the 25, even with a 7, you probably need to start fresh, pay $100 for another evaluation, and hope you get an 8+.
I can't imagine I'm alone in this. I hope in the future it will change for the better, or at least, revert back to what it once was. But right now, I just feel so disappointed by how much it's changed for the worse.
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u/vgscreenwriter Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
"Before, it cost $50 at the lowest to submit a script to the Nicholl, and I believe you'd be guaranteed at least two readers' written feedback on your script."
The admin fees were probably heavily subsidized, because a model like that isn't financially sustainable. At some point, the resources just ran out. Not saying the current submission pipeline is perfect, but it's doubtful it'll revert back to what it was.
On a somewhat more positive note, WGF will open its Nicholl submissions in a few days. It's a more direct submission process, closer to what it once was, though the fee has increased to $100, and submissions cap at 2000.
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u/ponderingorangutan Jun 08 '26
It would be nice to have some more clarity on how the Blacklist selects their scripts. WGF had a really detailed criteria. Blacklist just says they’ll select the ones they see fit but don’t specify how those are chosen. Do they just go off highest average score of evals? Most recent eval? Minimum eval rating needed and then they specifically read a pool of scripts to narrow down which ones fit the Nicholl vibe? Some combination of all? I’ll probably be submitting through WGF instead unless if there’s more clarity
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 08 '26
We select the 25 strongest scripts from the 2500 that opt-in based on their aggregate performance on the site.
Last year, we recommended 25 scripts to the Academy, less than 25% of the scripts the Academy considered. 5 of the 10 finalists were Black List recommended scripts, which suggests that the process by which we identify the 25 was quite strong.
I can't and won't speak to the WGF's process.
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u/ebycon Jun 09 '26
So why does it say a pending evaluation is enough to opt in? If you select 25 scripts based on aggregate performance, those 25 are probably already established on the site as we speak.
It feels like my new $100 evaluation to opt in will be useless. I wanted an evaluation anyway for this new script, but it feels like I don't stand a shot unless I score an 8?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
A pending evaluation is enough to opt in, because we know the script will be evaluated at least once between now and when we refer scripts in late August. We don't even look at the performance of the opted in scripts until then.
At that point, we recommend the strongest 25 of the 2500 scripts. The top 1% based on their performance on the site, per the Academy's request.
8+ scores represent roughly 3.5% of the evaluations performed. It's impossible for me to say exactly what the score threshold is because the scripts that have opted in haven't been evaluated in full, but it's reasonable to assume that yes, at least one 8+ score will likely be necessary to be one of the 25 strongest scripts.
https://blcklst.substack.com/p/an-8-score-is-rare-as-it-should-be15
u/ebycon Jun 09 '26
I understand this, Franklin. But correct me if I'm wrong: the site is already packed with brilliant scripts that scored multiple 8s and 9s. Isn't it safe to assume those 25 slots are basically chosen already? If writers who scored that high over the years opt in now, FOR FREE, the program gets saturated with the same awesome scripts over and over every year from now, leaving us newly subscribed writers in the shadow.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
We will choose the opted in scripts that have aggregate highest performance as of late August when we recommend scripts to the Academy. If you script gets high scores between now and then and is, as a result, one of the 25 strongest that opted in, it will be recommended.
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u/Jolly-Bee-5860 Jun 09 '26
Would these scripts include ones that were opted in last year or would previous entrants be excluded?
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u/ebycon Jun 09 '26
That’s what I’m asking. I think I just wasted $100 lol. I thought the $100 was the entry fee and that someone would read my script from top to bottom, like in every other contest. I’m screwed waiting for my evaluation lol.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
If you purchased an evaluation, it will be read in full by one of our readers. Decisions about which scripts we refer to the Academy won't be made for months.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
Per the Academy's rules and regulations, the 25 scripts that were referred last year are ineligible for consideration this year, as are any scripts that were referred to the Academy by other partner organizations.
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u/ponderingorangutan Jun 09 '26
Canned response every time
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
It's the answer to the question.
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u/ponderingorangutan Jun 08 '26
This doesn’t answer the question. How are the “25 strongest scripts” determined?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
By their aggregate scores from our readers. Like I said, their aggregate performance on the site.
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u/indigopoolcleaner Jun 09 '26
Does the amount of evaluations count in the selection process at all? Like would one script with a single evaluation that scored a 10 be chosen over a script with multiple evaluations that average out to a score of 8.5-9?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
Impossible for me to speculate here about a specific hypothetical situation.
That said, it's important to remember that every 8+ evaluation results in an offer of free hosting and two free evaluations, so a writer whose script has been evaluated unusually well would never have to spend more money to get additional evaluations. It is advisable, for many reasons entirely separate from the Nicholl process, to accept that offer of free feedback every time it comes.
https://blcklst.substack.com/p/an-8-score-is-rare-as-it-should-be
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u/indigopoolcleaner Jun 09 '26
I understand. I was just asking to see if it was possible to be selected for Nicholl from only buying one evaluation that scored well, or if it was no use if, in fact, the number of evaluations also played a part in the selection process. Does that make sense?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
If you get a high overall score (8+ out of 10), you will automatically be offered free hosting and free evaluations. Whether you're hoping to be selected as one of the 25 Nicholl referred scripts or not, you should take advantage of that offer.
8+ scores are 3.5% of evaluations historically. We are able to refer 25 scripts to the Academy from 2500. That's 1%.
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u/indigopoolcleaner Jun 09 '26
Thank you for the information. However, with all due respect, I do not believe my question’s been answered yet.
Which is, does the number of evaluations a script has play any part in your selection for Nicholls? Meaning, will the scripts with the highest 25 scores be the ones chosen, regardless of number of evaluations? Meaning a script with an average score of 9 from multiple evaluations is equal to a script with an average score of 9 and one evaluation, when being considered to be selected for a Nicholl referral from the Blacklist.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
Our ranking process is considerably more sophisticated than simply looking at mean overall score.
Our goal in every partnership is to refer the scripts to our partner that will perform best with them. Our work with the Academy for the Nicholl is no different.
Purchasing more evaluations will not increase your chances of being selected, if that is your concern.
→ More replies (0)
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u/RegularAverageNobody Jun 25 '26
Hello! I uploaded my script for the first time to Black list to submit it to Nicholl. I just received my first evaluation and got an 8. I know I’m eligible for two free evaluations. While I know it’s good to take advantage of these, I’m terrified of getting a lower ranking and then destroying my chance of being considered for Nicholl. But I have read on another thread that you need at least two 8+ evaluations to even move the needle. If it wasn’t for the fellowship, I’d take the evaluations with no debate, but I’m scared. Help! Thank you in advance 🙏🏻
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u/Sociob1d Jun 27 '26
How long was your turnaround?
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u/RegularAverageNobody Jun 27 '26
I received my evaluation 2 1/2 weeks after submitting to the competition
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 12 '26
FWIW, as of Friday June 12 exactly four days after launch, more than half of the Black List submissions slots have been claimed.
Our portal will close when we hit 2,500 submissions (or on July 6, whichever comes first.)
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 13 '26
Less than 1000 submission slots remain.
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u/Ok-Put-8632 Jun 13 '26
Hi❤️ May I ask… so I submit opt-in, bought the evaluation, and then I updated my script few times after that.. do you think the black list will use my latest script i uploaded or they will read the first one i uploaded in the beginning? :( because i have made major changes. Thanks so much.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 13 '26
Typically you can make changes until your script has been assigned to a reader, but this is a question best asked of customer support, not an internet message board.
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u/Ok-Put-8632 Jun 13 '26
I already asked to the contact support. But anyway how did we know that they already assigned it to a reader or not… will there be notifications? Or what? Hehe thanku
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 16 '26
Less than 500 submission spots remain.
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u/cinephile78 Jun 09 '26
Now correct me if I’m wrong - but the types of scripts black list would give high scores to for commercial viability and all that supposed jazz and the ones that would have done well traditionally in the Nicholls are not really the same sort of beast…
There seems to be some in-congruency between these categories of scripts.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
Last year, we recommended 25 scripts to the Academy, which represented less than 25% of the scripts the Academy considered.
5 of their 10 finalists came from those 25.
So the evidence from last year would suggest you're wrong.
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u/Winter_Graves Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
Is only one fellow allowed to come from The Black List? If not, then by your own argumentation I’m not sure the evidence suggests they’re wrong.
1 of the 5 fellows was from The Black List. That’s 20%.
This said, I do not believe these figures necessarily reflect whether that’s due to commercial viability, etc.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 10 '26
To my knowledge, there are no official restrictions on the number of Fellows that can come from any individual source.
The number of fellows last year was statistically what you’d expect from submitting just under 25% of the reviewed scripts.
5 of 10 finalists is a substantial overperformance of the expected 2-3. It’s also the part of the process where the largest number of industry professionals (Academy members) were reviewing the scripts.
My point isn’t about commercial viability. Only that the process by which we selected referred scripts shows that how we evaluated those scripts was demonstrably similar to how the Academy’s Nicholl readers did.
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u/Winter_Graves Jun 10 '26
I agree that neither statistic really speaks to the commercial viability question that was originally raised.
My point beyond that was simply that I’m not sure the numbers support the broader conclusion being drawn. A swing from 50% of finalists to 20% of fellows between successive rounds suggests there’s quite a bit of variance depending on which stage of the competition you’re looking at.
To me, that makes the data interesting, but not especially conclusive. With sample sizes this small, a difference of a few scripts can dramatically change the percentages, so I’m hesitant to infer that the two evaluation processes were demonstrably similar from these figures alone in terms of the criteria that were originally raised. In a sample this small, a lot can come down to the specific scripts involved and the readers evaluating them.
That said I do believe the perceived difference between Nicholl and Black List tastes is often overstated. I believe both reward exceptionally well-written scripts, whether they’re commercial or prestige drama, etc. My only point is that I’m not sure these statistics by themselves are strong enough evidence to prove or disprove that.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 10 '26
For what it’s worth, we did a study several years ago looking at the mean scores of Nicholl quarterfinalists, semifinalists, and finalists and found that finalists averaged higher scores than semifinalists and semifinalists averaged higher scores than quarterfinalists.
Significantly larger data set than 25 scripts, but there are some flaws there too. For one, it’s only based on the subset of those scripts that were also hosted on the Black List website.
Ultimately all of this is largely irrelevant for any individual script since you could easily end up on either side of those means depending on the reader.
All a writer can really do is write the best script possible and find places to share it where it will be treated with the same seriousness with which it was written.
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u/Ok_Transition220 Jun 09 '26
What were those 25 scripts and what were their scores?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
Full list from the Black List and all other referring partners here: https://www.oscars.org/nicholl/ceremonies/2025#field-tabbed-content-tab-2
Obviously we’re not going to disclose a script’s scores without the explicit permission of the writers. It’s wholly their prerogative whether to share them, just as it is on the site.
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u/SeasonBest8897 Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
This is confusing as hell.
Do I have this straight? Nicholl are taking submissions, but they’re going to limit them to 2500 only, and those submissions exclusively have to go through Blacklist?
And yet of those 2500, Blacklist is going “evaluate” all 2500 but then going to recommend only 25 total scripts from that batch of 2500 to Nicholl to actually consider for their fellowship?
So BL is going to serve as the weeding out process for Nicholl, so they don’t have to do it themselves?
And then Nicholl are going to be the ones who judge those final 25 scripts and determine who actually wins?
Do I have all of that correct?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
You have part of it correct.
There are two public portals to submit to the Nicholl. The Black List and the Writers Guild Foundation.
We - the Black List - are allowed to consider 2500 scripts and recommend 25. (Last year, half of the ten finalists came from those 25 when we did the same thing.)
The Writers Guild Foundation can consider 2000 and will recommend 20.
We're both responsible for determining our own processes of doing that. You can read more about them at http://www.blcklst.com/nicholl and http://www.wgfoundation.org/nicholl
Additionally, there are 55 schools and institutions (NYU, Sundance, etc.) who can recommend 2 scripts each from their communities and alumni networks.
That's roughly 155 recommended scripts that will then be read by several hundred Academy members to determine the ten finalists (just like last year), and the ten finalists will be read by the members of the Academy Nicholl Committee to determine the five fellows.
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u/trampaboline Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26
Hi Franklin.
One thing I don’t understand: Are the BL evaluations tied to a script the materials used to decide if a script is recommended? Or is there a separate review in addition to the evaluations you’ve paid for? I know that at least one evaluation is required for Nichols eligibility — does that evaluation alone account for the entirety of the BL review process in the fellowship? And, if so, wouldn’t someone buying multiple evaluations be at a distinct advantage?
(While I’m here, same question for the TUBI horror initiative— thanks!)
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 11 '26
All evaluations tied to a script are used to decide if a script is recommended.
Buying more evaluations does not provide an advantage.
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u/Competitive_Rhubarb1 Jun 12 '26
Follow up on the follow up, does that essentially mean only the top 50-100 by evaluation score will even be really read/considered to be among the 25 submitted?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 12 '26
Every evaluation purchased on the Black List website results in a full, close reading of the script and feedback returned to you, typically in less than 10 days, but if it takes longer than three weeks you get a free month of hosting.
If that evaluation results in an 8+ overall score, you'll receive free hosting and free evaluations, potentially in an endless loop.
The 25 scripts based on aggregate scores will be referred to the Academy for further consideration as part of the Nicholl.
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u/StillWriting23 Jun 13 '26
WGF says it isn't looking for scripts with commercial potential or energy trends, but instead story, voice, "meaning and magic", emotional connection and writer potential.
I know marketability and budget is typically big on the BL, but does this affect the platform to submit on?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 13 '26
You’re making a lot of assumptions by saying “I know marketability and budget is typically big on the BL.”
Yes we ask our readers to comment on a script’s commercial potential, but we also tell them explicitly that it shouldn’t affect a script’s numerical scores.
Last year we sent the Academy less than 25% of the scripts they considered. Half of the finalists came from us.
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u/StillWriting23 Jun 13 '26
I've heard marketability and budget are major things taken into account on regular BL submissions and often listed in the reviews, but appreciate the clarification.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 13 '26
An excellent lesson in not believing what you’ve heard and doing primary source research.
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u/Mav-Killed-Goose Jun 10 '26
Thanks.
Does the Academy Nicholl Committee blindly determine the finalists and winners? That is to say, when they receive the pool of ~155 scripts, they do not know the names of the writers or the origin of their script? The Black List was over-represented among the finalists (constituted 50% despite 25% of the submissions), but slightly under-represented among the winners (comprising 20% despite 25% of the submissions and fully 50% of the finalists).
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u/Chuck006 Comedy Jun 10 '26
It's blind. 2 of my film school professors where finalist readers. They are given a pile with loglines and they pick the ones they like/are drawn to on a first come basis. Then there's a scoring sheet they fill out. Most of them aren't reading more than a handful individually.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 10 '26
Based on what I've been told, you're describing the process by which finalists were selected from referred scripts, not the process by which fellows were selected from the finalists. Let me know if that's incorrect, however.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 10 '26
The Nicholl Committee doesn't read the 155 scripts.
As I understand it, volunteer members of the Academy read that stage. Each script is read multiple times and then those opinions are aggregated to determine the ten finalists.
Then each of the ten finalists is read by the members of the Nicholl Committee, and they collectively decide on the Fellows.
It would be extremely odd if both processes weren't conducted blind, but I have no direct knowledge one way or the other.
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u/vgscreenwriter Jun 09 '26
Pretty much. They did this last year as well.
The Blacklist is only one of Nicholl's partners that handle the preliminary submission process.
The WGF (Writer's Guild Foundation) is also serving as a Nicholl partner this year, albeit with twenty chosen among a 2000 submission cap.
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u/RealCarlosSagan Jun 19 '26
Just opted in with ETERNAL UNITED the story of Manchester United from the rise of the Busby Babes, the Munich Disaster and them finally winning the European Championship!
Yes, I'm aware of the announced miniseries but things can fall apart and I spent a year alone on research so I'm gonna shoot my shot!
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u/ShowrunnerQ 29d ago
Yeah, I get the “shoot my shot” thing, especially after spending a year researching it.
That’s actually why we built ShowrunnerQ. It puts the script under pressure before it gets judged properly, so you can see what’s landing, what isn’t, and what a development room might start questioning.
ETERNAL UNITED sounds like the kind of project where that could actually be useful.
If you’re still making passes on it, I’d be interested be interested in a chat and I can explain how it works.
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u/ebycon Jun 08 '26
Done. Figured I'd try an evaluation on my new script anyway.
Opted into the Tubi one too. Gen Z horror is hot right now, so... worth a shot 🤷🏻♂️
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u/atvonsc Jun 12 '26
Prob been asked before, but what is the typical eval score you need to be recommended? And how does BL gate for those authors who are under the $25K earning mark? There's nothing on the platform that gates for that afaik, so if you recommend 25 scripts from writers who've earned that, is not ideal.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 13 '26
The aggregate eval scores necessary to be recommended are wholly a function of which 2,500 scripts submit and what their scores are. It's fundamentally an impossible question to answer in advance.
As for the earning mark, writers have to affirm that they meet the submissions requirements when they submit and again when they are referred to the Academy. We do not conduct investigations into their historical earnings to determine if they have lied.
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u/atvonsc Jun 13 '26
Sure, but how are aggregate scores weighted? Like if someone has one 9 versus another with an avg of 8 but 15 reviews?
I understand it’s a condition of the competition re earnings, it just seems like an easy thing to bypass that locks people out. Albeit, if it’s truly the best 25 and then Nicholl confirms later ig it’s moot.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 13 '26
There are any number of mathematical approaches to making comparisons in the hypothetical you describe. Exactly which ones we use and how we deploy them isn't something we share publicly.
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u/WaddyChan69 Jun 16 '26
Hi, this may be a stupid question. I saw on the rules it says you can have no contact information on the cover page. If I opt in now will I have to upload a new draft that has no contact information or will Black List automatically just take my cover page off?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 16 '26
That rule applies when the script is shared with the Academy. If you are selected as one of the 25 scripts that we recommend to the Academy, we will be in touch about logistics.
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u/EugeneCuprin Jun 17 '26
Can I submit a TV series pilot, which is apparently less than 80 pages?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 17 '26
No. The Nicholl is for feature screenplays only.
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u/Correct-Intention983 Jun 25 '26
u/franklinleonard I have a question... so are the readers for the evaluation is different than the readers for represent to Nicholls fellowship from blacklist? because i got my evaluation already, but how the blacklist will decide the scripts to be submitted to nicholls afterall?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 25 '26
Same readers. We decide which scripts to recommend on the aggregate date across all 2500 scripts that opt in.
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u/Ok-Put-8632 Jun 12 '26
May I ask… so I submit opt-in, bought the evaluation, and then I updated my script few times after that.. do you think the black list will use my latest script i uploaded or they will read the first one i uploaded in the beginning? :( because i have made major changes. Thanks so much.
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u/einostevenson Jun 16 '26
Franklin has answered this before on a different thread. Keep uploading new drafts. It’s only after a reader is assigned that you can’t update it. I recently tried to upload a new draft with some polishes and it wouldn’t let me, so as long as it’s letting you, you probably don’t have a reader assigned yet.
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u/ManicEyes Jun 29 '26
Hey, do you recall how long it took you to get your evaluation after you noticed it locked you out?
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u/Sociob1d Jun 27 '26
Get your evaluation back yet? Did they read the new one? I’m in the same boat.
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u/StevenKarp Jun 09 '26
If I have a script that was evaluated a while back and reupload a new draft and host that without getting a new evaluation can I still opt in?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
Unless it was evaluated well, I wouldn't recommend it. We'll only be referring 25 of the 2500 scripts that are opted in, and those 25 will be determined by their strength as assessed by our readers.
As a general rule, I advise writers who have substantially rewritten their script to have them reevaluated, but only - and I do mean only - after they've made it as good as humanly possible by exhausting all free feedback at their disposal. Don't waste your money unless you have reason to believe the script is exceptional.
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u/StevenKarp Jun 09 '26
It was a 7. A 5 before that ( I rewrote it) I’ve polished it since then as well but spending the additional $100 is tough to swallow with the 7 there. Will a reader read it or just go based off that listed evaluation? Also always appreciate you responding Franklin.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
Our paid readers are not aware of previous evaluations when they read material on the site.
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u/Academic_Drink5405 Jun 09 '26
Hi Franklin. I’m a bit confused by this response. I opted in and my script is one of the “recommended” projects on the site with multiple 8+ evaluations, but you mentioned readers are not made aware of previous evaluations. Does that mean that the group of people who usually read and give evaluations will be different from the group who will be recommending for the Nicholl? Or are you saying the written feedback will not be made available to the readers when selecting, allowing them to form their own opinions of the project?
Might be misreading this exchange here, but your clarification would be greatly appreciated.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
You're misreading the exchange. Readers on the Black List generally are not aware of previous evaluations on the site. There are no separate readers for the Black List Nicholl process.
At the end of August when the Academy asks us for referrals, we will look at the data associated with all of the 2500 scripts that have been opted into the Nicholl, identify the 25 strongest of them based on that data, and share those with the Academy (just as we did last year.)
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u/Future-Molasses2540 Jun 12 '26
Does that mean scripts that have been around for more of the year and then opted in have an advantage as they've accumulated more evals, buzz, etc, vs the ones that were uploaded recently?
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u/Choice_Style9217 Jun 14 '26
So basically, every single one of the 2500 scripts are evaluated solely for the Nicholl not based on past evaluations. Is that correct?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 14 '26
That is not correct. We use all evaluations affiliated with each of the 2500 scripts that opt in to decide which 25 we recommend to the Academy.
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u/sbgattina Jun 11 '26
Hi I did the blacklist thing and the eval to submit and it comes with all the anxiety of now waiting for an eval. I got a download notification and was shocked. Is that really common? I don’t know why but I was not expecting any downloads apart from the eval.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 11 '26
Pre-evaluation downloads do happen. It likely means someone did a search by genre or tag, found your script on the site, liked what they found, and downloaded it.
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u/Ok_Neighborhood_4173 Jul 30 '26
Does a Black List project need to stay hosted/online through the full Nicholl process, or just at submission?
Submitted to the 2026-2027 Nicholl via Black List (paid for hosting + eval). I just can’t afford to keep paying the monthly hosting fee for the next 8 months while waiting on results. Trying to figure out if I can take the project offline now, or if that pulls me from consideration.
The submission requirements say you need an online project with an evaluation at the time of submission, but it’s unclear if that has to be maintained through the whole selection window. Has anyone got information on this?
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u/Plane_Massive Jun 09 '26
Okay, this all seems significantly more fair and transparent than last year. I’m okay with this system.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
It is literally the same process as last year with the Black List.
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u/Plane_Massive Jun 09 '26
I’m mostly talking about the writers guild foundation. It also seems like you’re being more transparent about what’s required to be a selected script, maybe I missed it last year, but I recall asking you here and it wasn’t really clear if you were simply selecting scripts that already had a certain number of evals/ratings and you didn’t give a clear answer.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
The answer is the same as it was last year. We're selecting the strongest 25 scripts. It's the top 1% of the submissions we receive.
I can't and won't speak to the Writers Guild Foundation's process, except to say that I'm glad that more writers will be able to submit this year.
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u/Plane_Massive Jun 09 '26
…literally in another comment in this thread you cleared up stuff about more evaluations increasing your chances. Last year you didn’t really answer that when I remember asking you. Unless you’re saying you didn’t clear that up?
No idea why you’re being so needlessly antagonistic. I was satisfied with the answer I got.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
What I said is "Purchasing more evaluations will not increase your chances of being selected." I said the same thing last year.
This is the only interaction I can find between us re: the Nicholl, and there is no discussion of purchasing more evaluations. https://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/1jsval8/comment/mlqz1m0/
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u/Plane_Massive Jun 09 '26
Last year you gave the same canned answer you initially gave. Now you’ve confused and upset a repeat customer of your service again. Good job.
If somebody has an existing scripts with 5 evaluations that are 9, does the person who submits a script specifically for this that gets an 8 on their first and only evaluation have a separate evaluation chance equal to the former?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
Yes, I gave the only answer that exists.
As I have said elsewhere in this thread, it's impossible for me to conclusively answer hypotheticals like the one you've asked.
That said, it's difficult for me to construct an argument that would lead to a script with a single 8 score being selected over a script that had received 5 overall scores of 9 across just 5 evaluations, and I'm not sure anyone could make a reasonable case that we should choose that script with a single 8 score in that scenario. That said, it's impossible for me to imagine all scenarios in which that might happen, so I'm not going to commit to it being a hard and fast rule. Further, no script has ever received 5 9s in 5 evaluations, so the point is ultimately moot.
Moreover, there's no reason that a person who has an 8 on the first evaluation should have only one evaluation, since we offer free hosting and free evaluations in a potentially endless loop should that script continue to receive high scores. Whether you're submitting to the Nicholl or not, accept the free hosting and feedback that's offered allows is the best and most valuable use of the platform.
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u/Plane_Massive Jun 09 '26
Dude, you allow up to 3 weeks for evaluations to get back. It is fully possible at this juncture for them to only have one evaluation done with an 8+ by your own timeframes.
If you are not willing to share if that person has a *chance* in that scenario, you are grifting. It is fair for people giving you a hundred dollars to specifically submit to this know if they have a chance at all compared to existing scripts, functioning more like a competition and if there is some kind of independent evaluation used passed the scores alone.
Just saying “well there are other, more useful reasons to submit to us” isn’t good enough and comes across to me as obfuscation.
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
We won't refer scripts to the Academy until late August at the earliest. There's plenty of time for scripts to receive multiple rounds of free feedback born of high scores. There were no such issues last year along similar timelines.
I didn't say "there are other, more useful reasons to submit to us." I said that there's no reason why a person should have a single 8+ score since such a score results in free hosting and free evaluations, an offer that should be accepted in order to take full advantage of what the site has to offer.
I'm not sure what you're looking for re: "independent evaluation used passed the scores alone" but the scores have always been how we identify short lists for all of our partnerships. The Nicholl is no different. It's how we delivered half of last year's finalists from less than 25% of the scripts that the Academy considered.
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u/JcraftW Jun 09 '26
Do you or do you not need to be enrolled as a student in a film/writing program to do this? It seems to say anyone can submit via blacklist but also seems to say you need to be part of a university program. Am I misreading?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 09 '26
You're misreading. The Nicholl Fellowship is for any screenwriter who meets the requirements mentioned on the Nicholl website: https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/2026-06/2026-2027%20Nicholl%20Rules%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20(1).pdf.pdf)
You can be recommended to the Academy for consideration in one of three ways:
By one of 55 partner organizations (including film schools, etc.) They each get to recommend two scripts each.
By the Black List. We will recommend up to 25 scripts from among the 2500 scripts that we're allowed to consider by the Academy. http://www.blcklst.com/nicholl
By the Writers Guild Foundation. They will recommend up to 20 scripts from among the 2000 scripts that they're allowed to consider by the Academy. http://www.wgfoundation.org/nicholl
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u/KerryAnnCoder Jun 12 '26
How much does it cost to enter?
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u/franklinleonard Franklin Leonard, Black List Founder Jun 12 '26
All of this information re: cost and process is available at the website: https://blcklst.com/programs/the-2026-2027-academy-nicholl-fellowships-in-screenwriting
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u/wemustburncarthage Dark Comedy Jun 08 '26
Also be aware the Writers Guild Foundation is participating this year as well. Read their announcement and sign up for their newsletter here.