We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the 2024 Imagination Fund! After months of anticipation, we’re unveiling the 48 inspiring creatives who’ll bring their visionary ideas to life with support from Playbook’s $100,000 fund.
These winning projects span an incredible range of mediums, from zines and films to clay sculptures and community gardens — each one bringing a fresh perspective, artistic growth, and community impact.
A diverse range of creative projects
This year’s cohort represents an eclectic blend of artistry. Among our winners, you’ll find:
- A community garden in New Orleans: Building a shared green space for community connection, learning, and growth.
- Clay sculpture series: Transforming raw materials into narrative-driven pieces that evoke personal and collective memories.
- Filmmaking and videography: Storytelling through film, capturing themes from identity to cultural narratives.
- Zines and illustrated works: Visual storytelling that brings niche topics and personal journeys to life.
Check out all the winning submissions here.
Each of these projects reflects our core values of originality, personal growth, and positive community impact. From the creators’ use of digital tools to their unique approaches, these projects are redefining the boundaries of creativity — and Playbook is honored to support them.
The selection process
This year’s winners were chosen through a rigorous, multi-phase selection process that celebrated community engagement and artistic merit.
Following an initial round of applications, shortlisted projects were showcased within the Playbook community. Then community members got the opportunity to vote on their favorites.
Finalists then advanced to our visual assessment round, where a panel of design experts and Playbook’s team selected the top 48 projects. The judging criteria were:
- Originality and creativity
- Personal growth
- Community impact
- Presentation and feasibility
And now: The 30-day creation cohort
The real journey begins now! Each winning creator is participating in a month-long cohort, with 30 days to bring their project to life.
During this time, winners will use Playbook’s tools and templates, share progress updates, and engage with other artists along the way.
Be sure to follow along on social media for updates as we spotlight these creators, highlight their progress, and share their completed projects.
The winners
Below is the full list of Imagination Fund prize recipients:
1. Joshua Louie
2. Joey Han
4. Sól Griffith
5. Annie Chen
6. Jeffrey Sun
7. Tanner Ray
8. Laura Gao
9. Inma Hortas
10. Adel Wu
11. Agnes Tran
12. Alexis Kim
13. Merlin Uwalaka
14. Willa Jones
16. Gillian Goris
17. Ashley Herr
18. Bianka Gill
19. Saskia Knowles
20. Damien Ruiz
21. Nichol Markowitz
22. Denzyl Dacayanan
23. Lissie Stewart
24. Maya Stack
25. Marcella Moliner
26. Geena Yin
27. Tiffany Wang
28. Agustin Morales
29. Steph Foster
30. Jésabel DC
31. Lotanna Ogbeufi
32. Caine Casket
33. Cindy Liu
34. Paul Melville
35. Nabra Nelson
36. Kai Pham
37. Jingzhou Li
38. Dani Alvarez
39. Michael Yuan
40. Madison Frye
41. Lisa Chen
42. Maggie Deer
43. Mads Sæløen
44. Thomas Fabrizio
45. Quinn Quinlan
46. Mikey Cao
47. Majella Mark
48. Maria Rapicavoli
Join us in celebrating this creative journey
Playbook believes in empowering creatives to explore new frontiers without financial barriers — and we’re thrilled to witness the impact these artists will make.
Join us in cheering on our winners by following their journeys on social media. Tag us at @playbook_hq to support their progress and share in the celebration of these 48 extraordinary individuals.
Here’s to the incredible things that happen when imagination is set free. Let’s create, inspire, and grow together.