Genre: Poetry

A prize of $500 will be given annually for a chapbook-length work of poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. The 2025 prize will be given in poetry. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of up to 30 pages by March 1. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Poetry Northwest are given annually for a single poem by an Indigenous poet. The winners also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to read with the judge at Poets House in New York City in the fall. Writers who have published no more than one full-length book and who are community-recognized members of tribal nations within the United States and its territories are eligible. A Native poet of national prominence will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of no more than three pages each, a cover letter specifying any tribal affiliations and ties, and a brief bio by January 31. All entries are considered for publication. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

A prize of $1,500 and publication in Obsidian, the literary journal of Illinois State University, is given annually for a group of poems that explore Black themes. The winner also receives a $500 honorarium to give a reading at James Madison University. Poets who have published no more than one poetry collection are eligible. Aracelis Girmay will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems totaling no more than six pages with a $15 entry fee by February 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Five prizes of $1,000 to $1,500 each are given annually for a single poem “composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme, and received forms” (Iris N. Spencer Poetry Award); a single poem written in haiku form (Myong Cha Son Haiku Award); a single poem written in sonnet form (Sonnet Award); a single poem written in villanelle form (Villanelle Award); and a single poem written in Spanish and accompanied by the English translation or translated into Spanish and accompanied by the English original (Rhina P. Espaillat Award). Second-place prizes of $500 are also awarded for the Iris N. Spencer Poetry Award and the Myong Cha Son Haiku Award. Only undergraduate students who are enrolled in a U.S. college or university are eligible. Janine Joseph will judge the first four awards, and Rhina P. Espillat will judge her titular award. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems and the contact information of one referring professor by February 17. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.