Strange Inc. Creative Excellence Awards 2026
Deadline to Submit: September 15th 2026
Four categories. One winner each. An invitation to build with us.
Audio · Film · Writing · Performance Arts
We are looking for Muslim creatives doing serious work.
Since 2014, Strange Inc. has been building the infrastructure that Muslim creative culture deserves — publishing, formation, gathering, and now production. The Creative Excellence Awards are how we find the people we want to build with next.This is not a popularity contest. It is not about followers or visibility. It is about the work itself — and what we can make together once we have found each other.
Winning is not just recognition. It is an invitation into what Strange Inc. is building next.
What Strange Inc. Stands For
We create from a place of remembrance, not restlessness.
Strange Inc. is a Muslim institution rooted in the belief that creativity is stewardship — not self-expression. The capacity to make is a trust from Allah. What we form and offer is a question of character, not talent. When creative work is connected to its source, it heals. When it is disconnected, it distorts.
We call this Art from Peace. Peace through Art.
It means we are not interested in creativity for its own sake. We are interested in creativity that comes from a settled place and leaves something settled in the person who receives it. Work that orients rather than agitates. Work that is true rather than impressive. Work that carries beauty as medicine, not decoration.
We believe:
Remembrance before output.
We do not create to be seen. We create from a place of orientation — returning, again and again, to what we are actually for.
Beauty is medicine.
What we make should settle something in the person who receives it. That is the standard we hold and the one we invite others toward.
Truth without spectacle.
We name what is broken — in creative culture, in our communities, in ourselves — without turning the wound into a performance.
We do not create alone.
Formation happens in community. The work of becoming a more rooted creative is not a solo project.
We build for what lasts.
Every program, publication, and production is made with the next generation in mind — not the next notification.
What We Are Looking For
Work that reflects these values — not perfectly, not without tension or struggle, but with intention.
We are looking for Muslim creatives whose work is formed rather than discharged. Honest without being extractive. Rooted in something true. We welcome work that sits with difficulty, grief, longing, and complexity — but work that shapes those things into something the audience can receive, not something they are asked to carry.
We are not looking for the loudest voice or the most polished production. We are looking for the most considered one.
If your work comes from that place — or is reaching toward it — this award is for you.
What We Are Not Looking For
Work that relies on shock, provocation, or controversy to generate attention. Work that contradicts the foundational values of Islamic belief and practice. Work that positions the audience as witness to unresolved personal material.
Strange Inc. reserves the right to decline any submission that materially conflicts with our values. This is discernment, not judgment of the person.
Fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and poetry collections. Complete books only — no essays, articles, or excerpts.
Podcasts, audio drama, audio essays, narrative audio, documentary audio, recorded storytelling. If it lives in the ear, it belongs here.
Spoken word, poetry, nasheed, skits, short plays, comedy, storytelling performance. If it is made to be witnessed, it belongs here.
Short film, documentary, experimental film, animated short, visual essay. If it lives on screen, it belongs here.
What Winning Means
Each category has one winner and two honorable mentions.
The winner receives:
Recognition is just the beginning.
As a Strange Inc. Creative Excellence Award winner you receive a production grant from the Beautiful Seeds Fund to support your work — and an invitation to go further.
Winners are invited to lead a Strange Inc. Creative Path cohort. This means you come in as the expert in your discipline, guide a small group of Muslim creatives through making something real together, and walk away with a production credit on the finished piece and a paid stipend upon completion.
This is not a certificate and a goodbye. This is Strange Inc. saying: we have seen your work, we believe in what you are building, and we want to make something with you.
Writing category winners also receive 200 Strange Inc. book award stickers for their work and Strange Inc. Press consideration for publication.
All winners receive a digital certificate of recognition emailed on the day of announcement. A physical printed certificate is available on request.
The cohort expert role is an invitation, not an obligation.
Honourable mentions receive:
Public recognition from Strange Inc., a digital certificate, and an invitation into the Strange Inc. ecosystem — community, future programs, and first access to opportunities as they open.
Eligibility
Open to Muslim creatives globally, any age, any country. Work must be original and created by you. Published or produced work from 2024 or 2025 is eligible, as is new work created for this submission. All work must be in English or accompanied by an English translation or transcript.
What to Submit
Email your submission to submissions@strangeincorporated.org
Your email must include:
Your full name
Your country of residence
The category you are entering
Your work as a file or private link
Your 200-word description of the work
Title your email: Creative Excellence Awards 2026 — [Category] — [Your Full Name]
Example: Creative Excellence Awards 2026 — Writing — Sakina Khan
Then complete your payment below. Both steps must be completed for your submission to be considered. You may submit to more than one category — each requires a separate submission and a separate fee.
Submission fee: $50 per entry