Genre: Poetry

Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition

Munster Literature Centre
Entry Fee: 
$8
Deadline: 
November 30, 2025

A prize of €2,000 (approximately $2,353) and publication in Southword is given annually for a single poem. The winner will also receive a four-night hotel stay, including meals, to give a featured reading at the Cork International Poetry Festival in Cork, Ireland, in May 2026 and will be featured on the Southword Poetry Podcast. Submit a poem of up to 40 lines with a €7 (approximately $8) entry fee or five poems of up to 40 lines each with a €30 (approximately $35) entry fee by November 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Poetry Prize

The Moth
Entry Fee: 
$19
Deadline: 
December 31, 2025

A prize of €6,000 (approximately $7,058) is given annually for a single poem. Three runners-up prizes of €1,000 (approximately $1,176) each are also given. The four shortlisted poets, including the winner, are also published in the Irish Times online and invited to read at an online awards ceremony in spring 2026. Submit any number of poems of any length with a €16 (approximately $19) entry fee per poem by December 31. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

Colorado Prize for Poetry

Colorado Review
Entry Fee: 
$25
Deadline: 
January 14, 2026

A prize of $2,500 and publication by the Center for Literary Publishing is given annually for a poetry collection. Victoria Chang will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 100 pages with a $25 entry fee ($28 for online submissions), which includes a subscription to Colorado Review, by January 14, 2026. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Jack Hazard Fellowships

New Literary Project
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
January 9, 2026
Up to ten fellowships of $5,000 each are given annually to creative writers who are high school teachers to support summer work on an ongoing fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, or poetry project. Full-time instructors at accredited U.S. high schools teaching in the 2025–2026 academic year who are contracted to return to their schools in fall 2026 and who have been teaching for at least three years are eligible. Using only the online submission system, submit a writing sample of up to 5,000 words of poetry or prose, a brief bio, a curriculum vitae, a project description, and contact information for the head of school by January 9, 2026. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Dorset Prize

Tupelo Press
Entry Fee: 
$30
Deadline: 
December 31, 2025

A prize of $3,000, publication by Tupelo Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner also receives a two-week residency at Gentle House in Port Angeles, Washington. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 88 pages with a $30 entry fee by December 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Tags: 
book awards

Firecracker Awards

Community of Literary Magazines & Presses
Entry Fee: 
$65
Deadline: 
November 14, 2025

Three prizes of $2,000 each are given annually for a book of poetry, a book of fiction, and a book of creative nonfiction published by an independent press in the current year ($1,000 for each author and $1,000 for their respective publisher). Works in translation and graphic novels are accepted. Using only the online submission system, publishers may submit books of poetry or prose published in 2025 with a $65 entry fee ($55 for CLMP members) for the first book and a $45 fee ($35 for CLMP members) for each additional entry by November 14. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

New Millennium Writing Awards

New Millennium Writings
Entry Fee: 
$20
Deadline: 
November 30, 2025

Four prizes of $1,000 each are given biannually for a single poem, a short story, a short short story, and an essay. The winners also receive publication in New Millennium Writings and on the journal’s website. Works that have not appeared in a print publication with a circulation over 5,000 or were published only online, as well as previously unpublished works, are eligible. Submit up to three poems totaling no more than five pages, a short short story of up to 1,000 words, or a story or essay of up to 7,499 words with a $20 entry fee by November 30. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Wilder Series Poetry Book Prize

Two Sylvias Press
Entry Fee: 
$24
Deadline: 
December 31, 2025

A prize of $1,000, publication by Two Sylvias Press, and 20 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection by a writer over 50 who identifies as female or femme (including those who are assigned-female-at-birth [AFAB] nonbinary, transgender, or genderqueer). The editors will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 80 pages with a $24 entry fee by December 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Joy Harjo Poetry Prize

Cutthroat
Entry Fee: 
$25
Deadline: 
November 15, 2025

A prize of $1,500 and publication in Cutthroat will be given annually for a single poem. Annie Wenstrup will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of no more than 100 lines each with a $25 entry fee by November 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Poetry Prize

Nightboat Books
Entry Fee: 
$28
Deadline: 
November 15, 2025

Up to four prizes of $1,200 each, publication by Nightboat Books, and 25 author copies are given annually for poetry collections. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of at least 48 pages with a $28 entry fee by November 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Pages

Subscribe to Poetry