Whether you’re crafting sonnets, experimenting with haiku, or exploring free verse, poetry competitions offer poets the chance to share their work, gain recognition, and connect with the literary community. Our curated list features poetry contests throughout the year, from international competitions with substantial prizes to niche contests celebrating specific forms and themes.

Our poetry competition directory includes opportunities for poets at every stage of their writing journey. You’ll find contests specifically for emerging poets, student competitions, themed poetry awards, and prestigious prizes judged by established poets and editors. Many competitions offer not just monetary prizes but also publication opportunities, mentorship, and the chance to build your portfolio.

Each listing includes essential details like submission deadlines, entry fees, prize amounts, eligibility requirements, and links to official guidelines. We regularly update this page to ensure you have access to current opportunities, helping you plan your submissions throughout the year and find competitions that align with your poetic style and career goals.

FYI: You can view other types of writing competitions (short story, flash fiction, essay, etc.) on our main Writing Competitions page.

Note: We do not host any of the events listed here. If you have questions about a particular event please reach out to the event organizer. Always do your own research before submitting your work. See our FAQ page for answers to common questions about writing competitions.
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December 2025

wed31dec3:52 pm3:52 pmVirtual EventWolves Lit Fest Poetry Competition 2026Category:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:£4 Max Length:40 lines Top Prize:£400

wed31dec6:33 pm6:33 pmVirtual EventThe Moth Poetry Prize 2025Category:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:€16 Max Length:No limit Top Prize:€6,000 and publication

January 2026

sat03jan6:47 pm6:47 pmVirtual EventThe Betty Award for Young WritersA writing contest for children ages 8-12Category:Essay,Poetry,Short StoryInternationalEntry Fee:$20 Max Length:1000 Top Prize:$300

sun04jan3:42 pm3:42 pmVirtual EventShepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival’s Poetry CompetitionCategory:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:£4 Max Length:30 lines Top Prize:£300

mon12jan10:00 am8:00 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Virtual EventThe Path Not Taken Writing CompetitionCategory:Fiction,PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max Length:1,000 Top Prize:Octo Books T-shirt, publication, certificate

wed14jan10:08 pm10:08 pmVirtual EventThe Colorado Prize for PoetryCategory:Full Manuscript,PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:$3 Max Length:100 pages Top Prize:$2,500 honorarium and publication

thu15jan12:59 am12:59 amVirtual Event2025 Rattle Chapbook PrizeCategory:Chapbook,PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:$30 Max Length:30 pages Top Prize:$5,000, publication, and 500 author copies

sat31jan9:39 am9:39 amVirtual EventKent and Sussex Poetry Society Open Poetry CompetitionCategory:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:£5 Max Length:40 lines Top Prize:£1,000 and publication

sat31jan10:04 am10:04 amThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Virtual EventThe Cheshire Prize for LiteratureCategory:Flash Fiction,Poetry,Scriptwriting,Short FictionInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max Length:Depends on category (check organizer's website) Top Prize:Check with organizer

February 2026

mon02feb2:59 pm2:59 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Virtual EventPegasus Poetry Book PrizeCategory:PoetryUSAEntry Fee:Free Max Length:80 pages Top Prize:$10,000 and publication

mon02feb3:20 pm3:20 pmVirtual EventThe Keats-Shelley Poetry and Essay PrizesCategory:Essay,PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:£10 Max Length:30 lines (poetry); 3,000 words (essay) Top Prize:£1000 and publication

fri27feb3:04 pm3:04 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Virtual EventNever Such Innocence International CompetitionPoetry, art and songCategory:Poetry,SongwritingInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max Length:Depends on category (check with organizer) Top Prize:Publication and other perks

fri27feb10:47 pm10:47 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Virtual EventClassical Association Verse and Voice CompetitionCategory:Poetry,Spoken WordInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max Length:1,000 Top Prize:£2,000

sat28feb1:47 pm1:47 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Virtual EventVoices of Mixed HeritageCategory:Non-fiction,Poetry,Short StoryInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max Length:2000 (short stories and creative non-fiction); 10 pages (poems or poetry collections) Top Prize:$500 and publication

sat28feb6:29 pm6:29 pmVirtual EventAWP Award SeriesAnnual competition for new book-length worksCategory:Full Manuscript,Novel,Poetry,Short StoryInternationalEntry Fee:$30 Max Length:Depends on category (check organizer's website) Top Prize:$5,500 and publication

sat28feb9:16 pm9:16 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Virtual EventCanterbury Tales Writing Competition 2025-26Category:Poetry,Short StoryInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max Length:500 Top Prize:£300 for winning student + £1000 for winning student's library

March 2026

sun01mar3:54 pm3:54 pmVirtual EventPorter Fleming Literary CompetitionCategory:Fiction,Non-fiction,Play,PoetryUSAEntry Fee:$15 Max Length:Depends on category (check organizer's website) Top Prize:$7,000 cash awards across categories

mon02mar2:55 am2:55 amThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Virtual EventRuth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry FellowshipsCategory:PoetryUSAEntry Fee:Free Max Length:10 pages Top Prize:$27,000

tue31mar8:56 am8:56 amVirtual EventThe Lascaux Prize in PoetryCategory:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:$15 Max Length:No limit Top Prize:$1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review

tue31mar1:40 pm1:40 pmVirtual EventMemoir in Verse AwardContest for Full-length ChapbooksCategory:Chapbook,PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:$22 Max Length:Full manuscript Top Prize:$1,500 and publication

April 2026

wed01apr2:38 am2:38 amVirtual EventThe Orison Prizes in Poetry & FictionCategory:Fiction,PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:$25 Max Length:30,000 (fiction); 100 pages (poetry) Top Prize:$1,500 and publication

wed01apr2:47 pm2:47 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Virtual Event2026 Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry ContestCategory:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max Length:250 lines Top Prize:$2,000 and publication

wed01apr10:18 pm10:18 pmVirtual EventThe Rialto Nature and Place Poetry CompetitionCategory:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:£7 Max Length:40 lines Top Prize:£1000

wed15apr5:32 pm5:32 pmVirtual EventThe Florida Review Editor’s PrizesCategory:Poetry,ProseInternationalEntry Fee:$20 Max Length:30 pages (prose); 5 poems (poetry) Top Prize:$1,000 and publication in The Florida Review

thu30apr4:02 pm4:02 pmVirtual EventThe Adrienne Rich Award for PoetryCategory:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:$15 Max Length:10 pages Top Prize:$1,500 + publication in BPJ

thu30apr5:22 pm5:22 pmMarsh Hawk Press Poetry PrizesCategory:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:$30 Max Length:84 pages Top Prize:$2,000, book publication, and promotion

May 2026

fri01may2:51 pm2:51 pmVirtual EventThe Montreal International Poetry PrizeCategory:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:$25 Max Length:40 lines Top Prize:$20,000

fri01may5:15 pm5:15 pmVirtual EventThe Malahat Review’s Far Horizons Award for PoetryCategory:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:$15 Max Length:60 lines Top Prize:$1,250 and publication

sat16may7:48 pm7:48 pmVirtual EventStanley Kunitz Memorial PrizeCategory:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:$15 Max Length:Three pages Top Prize:$1,000 and copy of the magazine for all entrants

mon25may12:40 pm12:40 pmVirtual EventLondon Independent Story Prize (LISP)Category:Flash Fiction,Poetry,Short StoryInternationalEntry Fee:£15 Max Length:300 (flash fiction); 3000 (short story); 40 lines (poetry) Top Prize:£100 and publication

sun31may10:51 pm10:51 pmVirtual EventFrogmore Poetry PrizeCategory:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:£4 Max Length:40 lines Top Prize:250 guineas (£262.50) + 2-year subscription to The Frogmore Papers

June 2026

mon15jun9:04 am9:04 amThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Virtual EventThe Paz Prize for PoetryPoetry originally written in Spanish by an American residentCategory:PoetryUSAEntry Fee:Free Max Length:No limit Top Prize:$2,000 and publication

mon15jun1:13 pm1:13 pmVirtual EventThe Bridport Prize 2026Category:Flash Fiction,Micro Fiction,Novel,Poetry,Short StoryInternationalEntry Fee:£12 - £26 Max Length:42 lines (poetry); 5,000 (short story); 250 (flash fiction); 8,000 (novel); 8,000 (memoir) Top Prize:£1,000 - £5,000 and publication

mon15jun5:09 pm5:09 pmVirtual EventLenore Marshall Poetry PrizeCategory:PoetryUSAEntry Fee:$75 Max Length:Full manuscript Top Prize:$25,000, a ten-day residency at Glen Hollow, and distribution of the winning book

August 2026

mon31aug7:19 pm7:19 pmVirtual EventAesthetica Creative Writing AwardInternational Literary Prize for Poetry and Short FictionCategory:Poetry,Short FictionInternationalEntry Fee:£18 Max Length:40 lines (poetry); 2000 words (short fiction) Top Prize:£2,500, publication, and many assorted prizes

September 2026

wed30sep4:37 pm4:37 pmVirtual EventMiller Williams Poetry PrizeCategory:PoetryInternationalEntry Fee:$28 Max Length:90 pages Top Prize:$5,000 and publication

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