Khachkar Studios, under the Charles & Agnes Kazarian Foundation, has announced the launch of the EMPOW Awards — a bold new initiative to empower spiritually rich Armenian Christian media. Starting in June 2025, the studio will award $10,000 grants to selected content creators whose work promotes traditional Christian values. A total of $250,000 has been allocated for EMPOW Awards in 2025, with the goal of inspiring a new wave of engaging, faith-based storytelling rooted in Armenian Christian tradition.
The Khachkar Studios announcement runs as follows:
“Can tradition and technology walk hand in hand? Khachkar Studios believes they must. And its latest initiative—the New $10,000 EMPOW Awards—proves it’s not just possible, but necessary.
Launched as part of the studio’s historically unprecedented $10+ million “Good News” campaign, the EMPOW Awards represent a cultural turning point for Armenian Christianity in the United States. With $250,000 dedicated to the awards in 2025, Khachkar Studios is inviting creatives to produce spiritually rich content that embodies five transformative traits: Engaging, Motivational, Powerful, Originality, and Wisdom.
This is not about slick production or popularity contests. It’s about forging a connection between ancient truths and contemporary platforms. From AI-generated sermons to grassroots podcasts, eligible content must awaken hearts and minds, reaching Armenian role models who might otherwise be spiritually adrift.
Today, only 3% of Armenians in the U.S. regularly attend Badarak. Through the EMPOW Awards, Khachkar Studios hopes to help double that number by strategically supporting content that serves as both invitation and inspiration.
To measure impact, Khachkar Studios uses a unique model. It evaluates all investments through the lens of Social Return on Investment (SROI), tied directly to KPI #1: increasing the number of regular churchgoers. This isn’t guesswork—it’s guided transformation.
Award-winning submissions will be shared across media platforms and further amplified by being featured in role model training materials. The result is a self-sustaining cycle: content inspires participation, participation fuels faith, and faith leads to more content creators.
It’s a departure from philanthropic norms. Over the past two decades, major Armenian foundations have allocated less than 2% of their funding to religious initiatives. Khachkar Studios is boldly reversing that pattern, placing spiritual revival at the heart of its mission.
The EMPOW Awards also reflect Khachkar Studios’ guiding scripture: the parable of the talents. Those entrusted with resources must use them for greater good—and the studio has accepted that call with clarity and conviction.
By blending digital tools with divine wisdom, the New $10,000 EMPOW Awards are building bridges between innovation and tradition—and lighting the way for the future of Armenian Christian life.”
