Sama Farrag With EGP 3.5 Million in Prizes and the Auspices of Four Ministries
Judging Committee Led by Tarek Nour as More Than 1,000 Participants Compete Across Nine Categories
Cairo, Egypt – May 17 – The countdown has begun for the second edition of Al Rawi Storyteller Award, held in collaboration with TikTok LIVE, the event’s official sponsor and the digital platform broadcasting it live to a wider audience across Egypt, the Middle East, and North Africa region. Scheduled for May 19 at the Abdeen Palace Museum, the award is considered one of Egypt’s leading cultural and artistic initiatives supporting content creators and storytellers, offering prizes with a total value of up to 3.5 million Egyptian pounds. A distinguished jury panel, led by Tarek Nour and featuring members such as Yousra and Amr Youssef, will evaluate submissions alongside a group of prominent figures in the creative industry.
Under the theme “How You See Egypt,” the award invites young creators to share their perspectives on the country through various forms of artistic expression. The response has been overwhelming, with more than 1,000 submissions received across nine categories, reflecting both the depth of emerging talent and the accelerating evolution of content creation in Egypt. This expanding interest has also drawn institutional support, with the award held under the auspices of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and the Ministry of Culture.
Reflecting on this year’s strong engagement, Lamia Kamel, Founder and Managing Director of CC Plus, Founder of the Narrative PR Summit, and Co-Founder of The Global Narrative, commented: “I am deeply proud of the strong turnout and wide participation in the second edition of Al Rawi Award. The level of engagement this year has been truly encouraging, and the submissions highlighted the real depth of Egypt’s creative talent across a wide range of fields. This reaffirms that we have a promising new generation that deserves both support and empowerment.”
In line with this vision, TikTok LIVE is launching its new global initiative, “Comes Alive,” in celebration of International Museum Day, with the aim of connecting communities around the world through interactive LIVE experiences spanning culture, heritage, education, and more. As part of the initiative, the “Museums Come Alive” program will be launched, offering a series of live-streaming experiences in collaboration with leading cultural institutions and museums worldwide, including a special partnership with the Al-Rawi Award at the historic Abdeen Palace Museum.
Underscoring the platform’s role in supporting emerging talent, Nour Chamkhi, Trust & Reputation Manager at TikTok LIVE MENA, added: “Our partnership with the Al Rawi Storyteller Award comes as part of TikTok LIVE’s commitment to supporting content creators and empowering young talent across Egypt and the region by providing an interactive creative space that enables them to share their stories and reach wider audiences. We are also proud that this partnership is being launched as part of TikTok LIVE’s new global initiative, ‘Museums Come Alive,’ which aims to deliver live cultural and heritage experiences to audiences around the world through an interactive and modern format. This initiative underscores our belief in the power of creative content to shape awareness and amplify young voices in an ever-evolving digital landscape.”
Beyond that, Al Rawi will honor exceptional talent across nine categories: Digital Content (1-minute reel), Long-Form Documentary (5 minutes max), Short Film (30 minutes max), Monologue Video (2 minutes max), Scriptwriting (up to 3,000 words), Photography, Art, Music, and Culinary Video. With total prizes amounting to EGP 3.5 million, the competition offers meaningful recognition to its winners. Across each of the nine categories, the top three participants will receive EGP 200,000, EGP 50,000, and EGP 30,000 respectively, while an additional EGP 1 million special prize, presented by Al Salem Holding, will be awarded to one standout talent.
The jury brings together more than 28 prominent figures from film, television, music, publishing, and advertising. This year features Egyptian advertising pioneer Tarek Nour, acclaimed actress Yousra, actor Amr Youssef, director Marwan Hamed, and award-winning composer Hesham Nazih, alongside producer and screenwriter Mohamed Hefzy, novelist and screenwriter Ahmed Mourad, screenwriter Mariam Naoum, writer Tamer Habib, and film producer Tarek El Ganainy. Each committee also includes additional established creatives, ensuring a breadth of expertise across the competition’s diverse artistic disciplines.
This year’s edition is further supported through partnerships that reflect a shared investment in creativity. e& Egypt joins as the technology partner, while Al Salem Holding, Suez Canal Bank, and Mobica contribute as sponsors, reflecting the private sector’s role in advancing content creation in Egypt.
Al Rawi Storyteller Award serves as a platform to spotlight Egyptian success stories and encourage young people to produce content that reflects their view of the country. It contributes to strengthening cultural identity and a sense of belonging, while reinforcing the growing role of soft power in shaping Egypt’s presence both regionally and internationally.
