The creative landscape is experiencing a seismic shift, and the Chroma Awards, a groundbreaking AI Film, Music Video, and Games competition organized by ElevenLabs, is positioning itself at the epicenter of this transformation.

With over $1M+ in free trials and credits, $150K+ in cash prizes, global distribution and development deals, and internship opportunities, this inaugural competition represents the largest initiative of its kind to bridge emerging AI technology with traditional artistry.

The Chroma Awards was established with the mission to educate, empower, and spotlight the next generation of artists and showcase how AI can empower human creativity. As Matty Shimura from Chroma Awards explains, "Through this initiative we hope to unite creators, communities, and companies across the world to bring emerging technology and creative talent together in dialogue".

At its core, the competition addresses a fundamental challenge in today's creative industry: accessibility. Traditional filmmaking, music production, and game development have long been gatekept by expensive equipment, technical expertise, and industry connections. The Chroma Awards believes that AI tools can empower creatives to tell their stories without limits, break down longstanding barriers to entry, and elevate new voices across the industry.

The competition is backed by an impressive consortium of technology leaders. The competition is organized by ElevenLabs and presented by Google Cloud, Freepik, fal, Dreamina AI, and CapCut. This collaboration reflects the growing recognition among tech giants that AI-powered creativity represents a massive market opportunity. According to MarketsandMarkets, the creative AI space is projected to reach a market value of $15.7 billion by 2025.

ElevenLabs, the driving force behind the initiative, has established itself as the global leader in AI audio research and technology, building cutting-edge AI audio tools for enterprises, developers, creators, and artists. The platform empowers millions of individuals and thousands of businesses, including employees from over 72% of the Fortune 500, to quickly and affordably create high-quality voice overs at scale, launch interactive AI voice agents in over 30 languages, and generate studio-quality music.

The competition spans three distinct creative domains, each with its own categories and specialized judging criteria:

Film Division (13 Categories): The film competition includes categories spanning Narrative, Animation/Anime, Action/Adventure, Comedy/Mockumentary, Drama/Romance, Documentary/Historical, Horror/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, TV & Film Trailers, Short Form, Micro-Dramas, Social Media, and Open Format. This comprehensive approach ensures that creators working across all storytelling formats have a platform to showcase their AI-enhanced narratives.

Music Division (5 Categories): Music creators can compete in Music Video, Pop/Asia Pop, Hip-Hop/Rap/R&B, Electronic/EDM, Rock/Country/Alternative, Jazz/Classical, and Comedy/Parody categories. This division particularly benefits from ElevenLabs' recent launch of Eleven Music, which enables creators to generate studio-grade music from natural language prompts.

Games Division (4 Categories): The gaming section features Web-Based, Action/Sports, Puzzle/Strategy, Simulation/Sandbox, and Interactive Narrative categories. Edge computing for real-time AI applications in gaming can reduce latency by 60 percent according to NVIDIA's 2024 benchmarks, making this division particularly exciting for innovation.

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the Chroma Awards is its commitment to democratizing access to professional-grade AI tools. Competition participants can access free trials of AI tools provided by sponsors starting at pack.chromaawards.com. The package includes exclusive access to premium tools and services, including ElevenLabs, Freepik, fal, Dreamina AI, CapCut, and many more.

This initiative represents more than just a competition—it's an educational platform. By providing creators with hands-on access to cutting-edge AI tools, the Chroma Awards is effectively training the next generation of AI-literate artists and creators. They provide free trials and education, spotlight the real people behind these projects, and offer tangible prizes and opportunities.

Timeline and Deadlines: The submission deadline is November 3, 2025 at 11:45 PM PT. Judging will take place in three rounds, leading up to the announcement of winners in an Awards Ceremony Livestream on December 7, 2025. The Chroma Awards accepts all projects made after February 1, 2025.

Submission Guidelines: Each entrant may submit more than one submission, however, each submission must be unique and substantially different from each of such entrant's other submissions. All submissions must be either voiced OR subtitled in English for judging, though foreign languages are eligible as long as there are English subtitles.

The Chroma Awards arrives at a pivotal moment for the creative industries. Forrester Research predicts that AI will dominate 20 percent of film festival entries by 2026, transforming industry standards and opening doors for scalable business models in AI creativity. This competition is positioning itself as a crucial catalyst in this transformation.

The competition also addresses growing concerns about AI's role in creative industries by emphasizing human creativity enhanced by AI rather than replaced by it. The mission is to educate, empower, and spotlight the next generation of creatives while bringing emerging technology and creative talent together in dialogue to find a productive way forward.

As the creative industry grapples with the implications of AI technology, the Chroma Awards represents a forward-thinking approach that embraces innovation while celebrating human creativity. By providing access to tools, education, and platform, it's not just a competition — it's a movement toward a more inclusive and accessible creative future.

The first season of the Chroma Awards could very well set the standard for how AI-enhanced creativity is recognized, celebrated, and cultivated. For creators willing to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and artistic expression, this competition offers not just the chance to win significant prizes, but to help define the future of creative media itself.

Ready to participate? Visit Chroma Awards to learn more and access your free trial tools at pack.chromaawards.com. The deadline for submissions is November 3, 2025—the future of AI-enhanced creativity awaits your vision.