New $10,000 EMPOW Awards Turn Faithful Messages Into Cultural Catalysts
Support A1+!Faith doesn’t have to be quiet. In fact, Khachkar Studios believes it should echo through
every medium possible—and that belief has given rise to the New $10,000 EMPOW
Awards, a bold effort to turn faith-filled content into cultural catalysts.
Announced in April and launching this June, the EMPOW Awards are part of a historically
unprecedented $10+ million commitment to strengthen Armenian Christian engagement in
the U.S. These $10,000 awards, distributed up to monthly or weekly, will be given to content
creators whose media expresses the five pillars of EMPOW: Engaging, Motivational,
Powerful, Originality, and Wisdom.
The urgency is real. Just 3% of Armenian Americans are currently active in weekly church
life. Khachkar Studios aims to double that figure by investing in media that reaches people
where they are—online, on their phones, and in their headphones.
From pastors experimenting with video sermons to young creatives using AI to retell
Scripture, the awards are designed to empower those who bring a fresh voice to ancient
truths.
Unlike traditional grants, the EMPOW Awards are performance-oriented. Every piece of
content is judged not only by artistic quality but by its potential to increase “The Faithful”—
the primary KPI in Khachkar Studios’ spiritual investment strategy.
And the reach is expansive. Award-winning entries will be widely shared on digital platforms,
while top content will be adapted for training purposes—helping mentor a new generation of
Armenian Christian leaders.
Khachkar Studios also points to a systemic gap it hopes to fill. Between 2001 and 2023, only
2% of major Armenian philanthropic funding went toward religious programs. The EMPOW
Awards flip that script, positioning faith as central—not peripheral—to cultural revitalization.
For Khachkar Studios, this is about legacy. It’s about what kind of culture we’re building,
what voices we’re amplifying, and what future we’re sowing.
The New $10,000 EMPOW Awards are not just celebrating media—they’re commissioning
messengers.
