Hallmark Media and the Black List Announce Recipient of the Emerging Voices Partnership

Toyi Elizabeth will develop an original Hallmark movie as part of an open script deal with Hallmark Media

LOS ANGELES, MAY 7, 2025 - Hallmark Media and the Black List are thrilled to announce the selection of Toyi Elizabeth for the Emerging Voices Partnership. Elizabeth has accepted a WGA-minimum open script deal with Hallmark Media to write and develop a television movie.

"The Hallmark brand of storytelling perfectly aligns with my authentic voice as a writer," said Elizabeth. "My deep passion is to create film and television that illuminates the diversity of the Black experience in love, faith, and community. I'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity to create stories that not only entertain us, but lift our spirits and make the world just a little brighter."

Elizabeth is a University of Kentucky graduate who began screenwriting after a decorated tenure as a Fortune 50 executive. Her writing is heavily influenced by involvement in community organizations, such as Jack and Jill of America and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

"We are excited to work with Toyi on bringing her fresh, creative vision to Hallmark," said Hallmark Media's vice president of programming, Jessica Callahan.

"This is a perfect pairing," said Black List founder Franklin Leonard. "We at the Black List are incredibly excited to see what comes of it, and everything that follows for Toyi thereafter."

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ABOUT THE BLACK LIST

The Black List is a platform dedicated to nurturing storytelling and empowering writers to maximize their professional potential. First established in 2005 as an annual survey of Hollywood's most-liked unproduced screenplays, the Black List has since grown into a comprehensive resource for the film, TV, and theater industries, serving thousands of agents, managers, showrunners, producers, financiers, directors, actor, and theater industry professionals.

Since its inception in 2005, more than 400 scripts from the Annual Black List have been produced, grossing over $28B in worldwide box offices. Films produced from Black List scripts have won four Best Picture Oscars and 12 Best Screenplay Oscars since 2007. A Harvard Business school study found that "Black-Listed scripts were twice as likely to be made into films...They also did better at theaters, with movies of the same budget generating 90% more revenue at the box office."

In October 2012, the Black List launched a unique online community where screenwriters can make their work available to readers, buyers, and employers. Since its inception, it has hosted more than 100,000 scripts and provided more than 130,000 script evaluations. As a direct result of introductions made on the Black List, countless writers have found representation at major talent agencies and management companies and/or sold or optioned their screenplays. Several films have been produced from scripts showcased on the website, including NAACP Award-nominated MR MALCOLM'S LIST, Independent Spirit Award-nominated THE NOVICE, and Golden Globe-nominated NIGHTINGALE, starring David Oyelowo.

The Black List also supports various programs for writers-including mentorships, script development deals, production funds, play commissions, and direct financial grants-in collaboration with corporate and industry sponsors. It distributed more than $1 million directly to writers in between 2022 and 2023 alone.

More information on the Black List is available at www.blcklst.com. For regular updates, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd, and Youtube.

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ABOUT HALLMARK MEDIA

Owned and operated by Hallmark Cards, Inc., Hallmark Media is entertainment's leading destination for feel-good content. Hallmark Channel features an ambitious slate of new, original movies, scripted series, and the popular annual holiday franchise, Countdown to Christmas. Hallmark Mystery features a unique mix of movies and acquired series focused on the lighter side of the suspense and mystery genres, as well as its own seasonal programming event, Miracles of Christmas. Hallmark Family showcases timeless storytelling for the whole family centered around faith, love, and community. The company's subscription streaming service and membership program, Hallmark+ offers a distinctive blend of all new, exclusive original series and movies, next-day access to Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Mystery premieres, plus monthly discounts and rewards for shopping at Hallmark Gold Crown retail stores. For more information, please visit www.corporate.hallmarkmedia.com.