Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply?
Entrants must be, at the time of entry: (a) a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident, enrolled student with a valid and current U.S. student visa or hold a valid U.S. visa; (b) A musical theatre artist in the early to middle stages of their career; (c) At least 21 years of age.
How do I know if I am in the early to middle stage of my career?
Ultimately, early- to mid-career is in the eye of the beholder. Generally speaking, creators with work on Broadway or the West End would not be considered eligible, though we welcome submissions from anyone who believes they fit the criteria.
SUBMISSION
My piece has had a reading or workshop, can I still submit?
Yes.
My piece had a high school / college production, can I still submit?
Yes.
My piece had a limited run of a few days or weeks, can I still submit?
If the run took place in a theatre (or theatre-like venue) had scenery, costumes, off-book non-student, paid cast, was marketed to the general public and charged the public for a seat, the show is deemed to have had a legitimate “production.”
My piece has been licensed/optioned for a professional production in the future, can I still submit?
Maybe. If the date of the professional production occurs prior to June 30 of the award year, the piece is ineligible. If there is no specific future date for a professional production, then, you may submit. In the event that the work books a production after it has been submitted, we request that you share the good news with us by e-mail as soon as possible.
Can I submit more than one piece?
No. While we recognize and appreciate the many prolific creators in the field, to maintain fairness, we limit pieces to one per PERSON. If you are part of a number of different teams, please consult with each of them to be certain that your work is only submitted once.
Can I submit the same piece that I submitted previously?
Yes.
New for the 2026 cycle: If you have submitted the same piece thrice, and it has not advanced beyond Round 1 previously, we respectfully request that you either:
a. Significantly revise the piece and add a note on Part 2 highlighting the changes. OR
b. Try sending a different piece.
Works that will be submitted for the 4th time, including those with Title changes, without the aforementioned note may be disqualified from consideration.
Do you accept adaptations?
Yes. We accept adaptations, as long as you have written documentation proving your right to use the intellectual property of the grantor.
What about jukebox or "catalog" musicals?
No.
New for the 2026 cycle: Musical numbers must be original and written expressly for the piece by the credited creative team.
Can you confirm that you received my submission?
You'll receive an e-mail confirmation when you successfully submit PART ONE of the application.
You'll receive an ON SCREEN confirmation when you successfully submit PART TWO that looks like this:
WHAT TO SUBMIT
What should my synopsis look like?
Please limit your synopsis to 250 words maximum. A paragraph or two about the major arcs of the show will suffice.
What parts of my script do you want?
Only the script pages. No title page, no setting, context or notes pages. Character breakdowns are requested as a separate .pdf on the application form.
What format should my script be?
Feel free to use the Dramatists Guild template, Standard Playwriting Format or other convention - as long as readers can differentiate between dialogue, stage directions, and lyrics. For submission, we are only able to accept script excerpts in PDF format.
Do the five selected songs have to be in consecutive order?
Yes. Please use the following convention when submitting musical numbers;
Song number as it appears in the script - Song Title
Please do not credit performers or creative team in the name or in the recording itself (i.e. if you submit a live, concert version of a number, please redact any creative team identifying information).
What format should my music files be?
We accept .mp3 and .m4a formats.
Must the five selected songs appear within the the script excerpt?
New for the 2026 cycle: At least 3 songs must appear within the script excerpt. Songs where the lyrics are sung are highly preferable to overtures or instrumental versions. We and our readers understand that pieces are all in different stages of development, and that there are varying levels of audio quality in demos. As such, we emphasize the importance of assessing a piece by its creative content, as opposed to slickness of production. As long as we can hear and understand the lyrics, you’re good to go!
Can I submit a video recording?
We are not able to distribute video recordings for assessment at this time.
SELECTION
How do you select semifinalists and beyond?
We have a small, but mighty team of readers (actors, writers, teachers, composers, dramaturgs, directors, even a few producers) who carefully assess each submission based on originality, impact and creativity.
We ensure that all shows are read by at least two of our round one readers. High scoring shows, and shows with large gaps between their two scores, are sent to a third reader to ensure each piece has been thoroughly vetted.
Semifinalists are chosen both on the basis of score and through an additional deliberation process. The top 5% of submissions (according to scores) automatically advance to the semifinalist round. Other high scoring shows are subject to deliberation from the board and the judges. A maximum of 15% of submissions may be chosen as semifinalists, though there is no set number. Notifications are sent out on a rolling basis, but all semifinalists will be notified of their status no later than February 28 for each cycle.
Semifinalist works are read and assessed by at least three new readers. Our semifinalist assessment form is more detailed than the round one form, as readers are judging the show in its entirety. We encourage our readers to highlight both the successes and the flaws of each show.
Finalists are chosen both by score, assessor comments and by deliberation of the Board.
Finalists are asked to meet with members of the board on Zoom or in person. Generally, questions revolve around next steps for the piece, budget, and how a potential Award might be used.
After these meetings, the Board deliberates on all shows. This can be a long process or a short one, but it is always difficult. Winning shows are notified by mid-June for each cycle, with an announcement before June 30, Pipeline has no set amount of winners, and a minimum prize amount of $10,000 per piece. We emphasize flexibility, and we do not envision a fixed number of winners or prize amounts every year.
When will I know if my show is selected for the next round?
We notify all submissions of their status by no later than April 1 of the Award Year.
Winners are announced by June 30 of the Award Year with an e-mail to all submissions.
Can I request feedback or reader notes?
At this time, we are unable to offer reader notes or feedback.
If you have any other questions, please email us.
