EXCLUSIVE: GLAAD has selected the winners of its TV Pilot Pitch Competition from the recent Black Queer Creative Summit.
First place went to Jules Crosby with the project Don’t Try This at Home. In second place was Carlton V Bell II with un-United, and third place went to Chas Jackson for Miss Behavior. See more details on the winners and their projects below.
In partnership with Starz and its #TakeTheLead diversity initiative, GLAAD handed out cash prizes as well as coveted spots in the organization’s eight-week virtual mentorship lab that will run from October through December. The goal of the lab is to provide tailored guidance from industry mentors on script development, packaging, and pitching.
Led by producer Sidra Smith, who was also a judge in this year’s competition, the lab will involve writers’ room simulations, expert-led workshops, and a final showcase for GLAAD and Starz teams. The curriculum covers logline refinement, pilot structure, world-building, script reviews, packaging, and pitch practice.
Additionally, the top three winners also receive global memberships to Soho House.
The Black Queer Creative Summit is a television-focused contest and mentorship incubator created as part of GLAAD’s Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative. In addition to Smith, this year’s pitch competition was judged by DaShawn Usher (GLAAD’s Vice President, Community and Media and executive producer), Alexander King (producer and creative executive), George M. Johnson (author and activist), Ashley Whitaker (television executive and storyteller), Dyllón Burnside (actor, artist, and author) and Lee Daniels (director, writer, and producer).
“This competition is about more than great stories — it’s about making sure Black queer creators have the platform and support to share them. Their voices are vital, and their impact will be undeniable,” Daniels said in a statement on Wednesday.
Added Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming at Starz: “We are honored to partner with GLAAD and its Black Queer Creative Summit. The three winners represent the bold and spirited ingenuity we celebrate and we are excited to work with these talented writers to craft and mold dynamic projects.”
Here are more details on the winners:
1st Place — Jules Crosby — “Don’t Try This at Home” | @thejulescrosbyPrize: $5,000 provided by STARZ #TakeTheLead and eight-week mentorship lab with a global membership to Soho HouseProject Logline: Two years out of college, a broke-but-bonded friend group scrambles to save the queer wrestling league that made them a family—only to face their toughest opponent yet: a brand-new owner who might tear apart the only thing keeping them together.
2nd Place — CARLTON V BELL II “cj” — “un-United” | @tscjbellPrize: $3,500 provided by STARZ #TakeTheLead and eight-week mentorship lab with a global membership to Soho HouseProject Logline: In a post-apocalyptic America devastated by the fictional VOD-9 virus, only people living with HIV are immune. This “genetic miracle” reframes HIV-positive people—so often marginalized—as society’s saviors. At its heart, the story follows Harper Karrington, a Black gender-fluid sex worker, and a chosen family of queer and trans survivors navigating loss, community, and resilience.
3rd Place — Chas Jackson — “MISS BEHAVIOR” | @iamchasPrize: $1,500 provided by STARZ #TakeTheLead and eight-week mentorship lab with a global membership to Soho HouseProject Logline: A mischievous Oakland Principal scrambles to stay afloat while the affairs of her school and personal life begin to implode.
Special Runner Up — Jonathan Horton — “It’s Care Giving”Prize: $1,000 (provided by Lee Daniels), one group session with Lee DanielsProject Logline: Andrew, an awkward call center rep, suddenly finds himself caring for his grandmother after her dementia diagnosis. As she forgets the past, he stumbles into chaos, connection, and the kind of growth he’s been avoiding since puberty – creating a future worth remembering.
Special Runner Up — Amber J. Phillips — “Toxic Femininity: A Literary Salon” –Prize: $1,000 (provided by Lee Daniels), one group session with Lee DanielsProject Logline: A late-night TV revolution where writer and performer Amber J. Phillips (Amber Abundance) turns her viral essays into live storytelling, inviting Black women and queer creatives to mix literature, laughter, sex, and sound—ending every episode with an unforgettable musical performance.
Special Runner Up — Azure D. Osborne-Lee — “Quiet Kwame”Prize: $1,000 (provided by Lee Daniels), one group session with Lee DanielsProject Logline: A trip to an artist retreat turns into a nightmare when six friends find themselves being hunted by a mysterious killer.
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