Dead Air Challenge Winners

Dead Air brought out some incredibly creative and strange ideas, and we had a lot of fun seeing where everyone took the prompt. From creepy toys and mysterious phone calls to sinister supermarket intercoms and a full-blown musical nightmare, there was no shortage of unique ways to make us think twice about what we're hearing.

This challenge was a blast to judge, with so many great submissions and plenty of surprises along the way. Honestly, I don't think we could've asked for a better cure for a Halloween hangover! 🎃

🏆 Grand Prize

The Nightmare Musical by Stuart Orr

Stuart Orr takes the simple joy of singing along to your favorite song and turns it into a wonderfully strange and gruesome nightmare. It's a wild ride full of bizarre surprises, but somewhere between the singing and the carnage, Orr finds something genuinely touching about wanting to be heard.

🎖️ Winners

Richard's Road by Caitlin Charlton

A creepy voice on the phone is disturbing enough. Caitlin makes finding a bathroom, somewhere to sleep, and someone to trust feel every bit as frightening.

Sirens by Rebekah Conard

Who knew a toy ambulance could be this creepy? With a mother and son hiding out in a motel, Rebekah Conard turns an innocent little toy into something downright sinister.

Fastened in Response by Aspen Noble

A dead language, a disturbing recording, and a linguist who just has to know what it means. Aspen Noble makes curiosity feel like a very dangerous habit.

Now We Have Unfilled Holes by C. Rommial Butler

A shipment of sex toys, a boss from hell, and a warehouse phone call that takes a nasty turn. Butler gets you laughing before reminding you this is still a horror story.

🏅 Honorable Mentions

• Network Error by Hannah Moore

• The Sickle Jazz Cafe by Kera Hollow

• The Futures Market by Kristen Keenon Fisher

• Phishing by Maddy Newt

• The Man on the Radio by Tim Carmichael

• The Walkie by Lamar Wiggins

• Bone Conductor by Sasha Desideri

• in yer hometown by kp

• Bootstrap Paradox by Raine Fielder

• Vocal Satisfaction by Andrew C McDonald