This initiative will offer five $10,000 grants to writers, aiming to end the stigma surrounding mental health and diversify mental health narratives in fiction.

I began my journalistic career writing about mental health care, way back in nineteen-bow-and-arrow, and the topic has remained one close to my heart, and one recently covered by author and blogger Anne R. Allen in the context of authors, so I was delighted to read the latest press release from Spotify, as summarised below.

Spotify has announced a partnership with The Black List and The Jed Foundation (JED) to launch the Spotify x JED Impact Award, aimed at supporting unpublished manuscripts that address mental health themes. This initiative will offer five $10,000 grants to writers, aiming to end the stigma surrounding mental health and diversify mental health narratives in fiction.

Goals and Resources

The partnership seeks to:

** Promote positive storytelling around mental health.

** Provide fee waivers for up to 140 writers for a free month of hosting and a free evaluation on The Black List platform.

** Offer additional resources such as a mental health resource hub, 1:1 consulting with JED for awardees, and programming focused on authors’ mental well-being.

Submission and Selection

Submissions open today, 12 February and close on July 8, 2025. Authors can submit their manuscripts globally. A panel of experts from Spotify, The Black List, and JED, along with notable authors, will select the five winning manuscripts. The award recipients will be announced on October 10, 2025 (World Mental Health Day).

Importance for Publishers

This initiative highlights the importance for publishers to participate on platforms like Spotify. By supporting diverse mental health narratives, publishers can contribute to destigmatising mental health issues and foster greater understanding through impactful storytelling.

Quotes from Partners

Casey Acierno, Social Impact Lead at Spotify:   

“Stories about mental health have immense power to erase stigma and help people get the help that they need. We’re so excited to partner with The Black List and The Jed Foundation to uplift unpublished manuscripts with meaningful depictions of mental health. Having entered the audiobooks space, Spotify knows the power of storytelling, and we’re thrilled to support writers in looking after themselves and the way they write about mental health.”  

Courtney Knowles, Senior Media Advisor for The Jed Foundation:

“Narratives in fiction have a very real impact on our mental health—helping shape how we see ourselves, perceive our place in the world, navigate challenges, and discover possibilities for healing and growth.”

Randy Winston, Creative Director of Fiction at The Black List: “The Spotify Social Impact team and The Jed Foundation are important stewards of intentional programming with meaningful impact. Storytelling and mental health go hand in hand.”

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.