The Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film is a $200,000 prize presented annually by the Library of Congress in partnership with The Better Angels Society. A $50,000 prize will also be awarded to one runner-up, and $25,000 will be awarded to each of four additional finalists. Prize for Film winners will be recognized by the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Robert Newlen, at a ceremony with Ken Burns on October 22, 2026 in New York.
General Guidelines:
The Prize for Film recognizes documentary films that focus on an American historical subject, issue, or person within a time frame occurring at least twenty years prior to submission and present a variety of perspectives grounded in extensive and thorough research. The majority of the film must be historically focused to qualify. We invite submissions employing broad types of storytelling devices and archival materials. Late submissions will not be accepted. All submissions meeting the Eligibility and Application requirements are considered. Please carefully review the full list of Eligibility and Application requirements before applying.
Applicants will be notified of their status on or before October 1, 2026.
SUBMISSIONS OPEN: March 2, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. PST
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE: May 3, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PST
Contact Us:
- For technical questions only, please contact Submittable Customer Support at submittable.com/help/submitter
- For general submission questions, please contact: submissions@betterangelssociety.org
- For general questions about the Prize for Film, please contact: cstephens@betterangelssociety.org. Due to the volume of applications, we cannot respond to phone calls.
The Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film is a $200,000 prize presented annually by the Library of Congress in partnership with The Better Angels Society. A $50,000 prize will also be awarded to one runner-up, and $25,000 will be awarded to each of four additional finalists. Prize for Film winners will be recognized by the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Robert Newlen, at a ceremony with Ken Burns on October 22, 2026 in New York.
General Guidelines:
The Prize for Film recognizes documentary films that focus on an American historical subject, issue, or person within a time frame occurring at least twenty years prior to submission and present a variety of perspectives grounded in extensive and thorough research. The majority of the film must be historically focused to qualify. We invite submissions employing broad types of storytelling devices and archival materials. Late submissions will not be accepted. All submissions meeting the Eligibility and Application requirements are considered. Please carefully review the full list of Eligibility and Application requirements before applying.
Applicants will be notified of their status on or before October 1, 2026.
SUBMISSIONS OPEN: March 2, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. PST
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE: May 3, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PST
Contact Us:
- For technical questions only, please contact Submittable Customer Support at submittable.com/help/submitter
- For general submission questions, please contact: submissions@betterangelssociety.org
- For general questions about the Prize for Film, please contact: cstephens@betterangelssociety.org. Due to the volume of applications, we cannot respond to phone calls.