New $10,000 EMPOW Awards Empower the Faithful to Lead Through Media

ArmInfo.Khachkar Studios is giving voice to the faithful—and it’s doing so with more than just encouragement. Through its newly launched $10,000 EMPOW Awards, the studio is backing creators with the resources to inspire, teach, and spiritually awaken the Armenian Christian community through modern media.

The EMPOW Awards, which begin rolling out in June 2025, are part of a $250,000 commitment for the year, drawn from Khachkar Studios’ historically unprecedented $10+ million “Good News” initiative. These awards seek to recognize media works that meet five distinct criteria: Engaging, Motivational, Powerful, Originality, and Wisdom.

But this isn’t a conventional media grant. It’s a mission-driven effort to reawaken a faith community. Currently, only 3% of Armenians in the U.S. regularly attend Badarak outside of holiday services. The EMPOW Awards aim to help double that figure.

Khachkar Studios is approaching this challenge with intention and strategy. The studio uses a clear key performance indicator—growth in “The Faithful”—as its guiding metric. This KPI, along with a Social Return on Investment (SROI) model, ensures that every dollar supports content that moves people to action.

And those actions matter. Khachkar Studios sees media as more than messaging—it’s a discipleship tool. Award-winning entries will be shared widely through news outlets and social media platforms. The top works will be incorporated into educational resources, training the next generation of Armenian Christian role models.

In a philanthropic environment where religious giving has historically been sidelined— receiving only 2% of major Armenian-American foundations’ total donations over two decades—the EMPOW Awards are a bold realignment. Faith is no longer an afterthought; it is the foundation.

This vision is informed by Scripture. Inspired by the parable of the talents, Khachkar Studios sees its support not as charity, but as an obligation to steward and multiply the gifts it has received.

Whether it’s a heartfelt podcast, a short-form sermon, or an AI-enhanced digital message, the New $10,000 EMPOW Awards are about making room for faithful voices—and elevating them to lead.