Last updated: April 2026
If you write poetry and you're not entering contests, you're leaving money, exposure, and momentum on the table. A win — or even a longlisting — gives you something to put on a query letter, a reason to keep writing, and in some cases, a cheque big enough to cover a year of submission fees.
The hard part is finding contests that are actually open. Most "best poetry contests" lists on the web are years out of date. I've seen guides confidently recommending contests with deadlines from 2022. So I rebuilt this list from scratch in April 2026, checking each contest's website directly. Every entry below is either currently open, opens later this year, or runs annually with verified 2026 dates.
I've included a mix of free-entry and paid contests, US-based and international (the Irish, UK, and EU readers of this site told me they were tired of lists where every contest is US-only — I've heard you).
What to Look for in a Poetry Contest
Not every contest is worth your time or money. Before you submit, ask:
- Who runs it? A reputable journal, university press, foundation, or arts council. Avoid "anyone can pay to enter" mills with a vague address and no judges named.
- Who's judging? A named, recognisable poet or editor is a green flag. "Our editorial team" is fine if the publisher is reputable; suspicious if not.
- What's the prize-to-fee ratio? A $20 fee with a $3,000 prize and publication is reasonable. A $25 fee with a $100 prize is the contest paying its own bills, not yours.
- Is the publication credit real? Winning a contest run by a journal you've never heard of is worth less than placing in a journal that prints poets you actually read.
- Does it accept your country? Many US contests are restricted to US residents. Read the eligibility section before paying.
I treat contest entries the way I treat lottery tickets: budget what you can lose, prioritise the contests with the strongest publication credit, and submit your strongest work, not the work you couldn't place elsewhere.
Best Poetry Contests for 2026
Rattle Poetry Prize
- Organiser: Rattle magazine
- Prize: $15,000 winner; ten $500 finalists; $5,000 Readers' Choice Award
- Entry fee: $30 (includes a one-year Rattle subscription)
- Deadline: 15 July 2026
- Eligibility: Open internationally
- Submit: rattle.com/page/poetryprize
This is the contest I'd recommend first to anyone serious about placement. The $30 fee is effectively a magazine subscription, the prize money is among the largest in the field, and Rattle is read by poets everywhere. Submit up to four poems of any length or subject.
National Poetry Competition (UK)
- Organiser: The Poetry Society (UK)
- Prize: £5,000 first; £2,000 second; £1,000 third
- Entry fee: £8 first poem, £4 each subsequent (free entries available for low-income entrants)
- Deadline: 31 October annually
- Eligibility: Open worldwide, ages 18+
- Submit: npc.poetrysociety.org.uk
One of the most prestigious single-poem prizes in the world. Up to 40 lines per poem. All entries judged anonymously. The 2026 deadline closes at midnight GMT, 31 October 2026.
Bridport Prize
- Organiser: Bridport Arts Centre (UK)
- Prize: £5,000 first; £1,000 second; £500 third (poetry category)
- Entry fee: £12 per poem
- Deadline: 31 May 2026
- Eligibility: Open worldwide
- Submit: bridportprize.org.uk
Poems up to 42 lines. International entrants welcome. Winners announced in September with full results published 17 October 2026. The Bridport runs separate competitions for short story, flash fiction, and memoir as well, so poets who write across forms can submit multiple entries.
Forward Prizes for Poetry
- Organiser: Forward Arts Foundation (UK)
- Prize: £10,000 Best Collection; £5,000 Best First Collection; £1,000 Best Single Poem
- Entry fee: Free (publisher-submitted)
- Deadline: 15 March 2026
- Eligibility: Books published in the UK or Republic of Ireland between 19 September 2025 and 18 September 2026
- Submit: forwardartsfoundation.org
The Forwards are typically the route by which a UK or Irish collection gets onto the literary map. The Best Collection and Best First Collection categories are publisher-submitted, but the Best Single Poem category is open to poems already published in newspapers, periodicals, or magazines, or poems that have won another competition with a prize awarded in the qualifying window.
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
- Organiser: Winning Writers
- Prize: $2,000 winner; $500 second; $250 third; ten $100 honorable mentions
- Entry fee: Free
- Deadline: 1 April annually
- Eligibility: Open internationally; published or unpublished work accepted
- Submit: winningwriters.com
If you write funny poetry and you're not entering this, you're being silly in the wrong way. No fee, real money, and a credible publisher behind it. One humour poem up to 250 lines per entry.
Tom Howard / Margaret Reid Poetry Contest
- Organiser: Winning Writers
- Prize: $3,500 Tom Howard Prize (any style); $3,500 Margaret Reid Prize (rhymed/traditional); ten $500 honorable mentions
- Entry fee: $22
- Deadline: Opens 15 April 2026; closes in autumn (check website for confirmed close date)
- Eligibility: Open internationally
- Submit: winningwriters.com
A well-run paid contest with split categories — useful if you write formal verse, since the Margaret Reid prize is one of the few significant awards specifically for traditional and rhymed poetry.
Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships
- Organiser: Poetry Foundation
- Prize: Five fellowships of $27,000 each
- Entry fee: Free
- Deadline: 2 March 2026
- Eligibility: US citizens or residents, ages 21–31 in 2026
- Submit: poetryfoundation.org/awards/prizes-fellowship
The biggest fellowship for emerging US poets. No fee. Submit ten pages of poetry plus answers to short questions about your creative practice. The Foundation explicitly prioritises poets without substantial prior institutional support — worth applying if you've been writing without an MFA or fellowship pedigree.
Ploughshares Emerging Writers' Contest
- Organiser: Ploughshares (Emerson College)
- Prize: $2,000 plus publication; conversation with Aevitas Creative Management
- Entry fee: $30 (free for current subscribers; fee includes a one-year Ploughshares subscription)
- Deadline: 1 February – 31 March annually
- Eligibility: Writers who haven't published a book in any genre; international entries accepted
- Submit: pshares.org/submit/emerging-writers-contest
3–5 pages of poetry. Don't submit AI-generated work — they'll disqualify it. The agent introduction is a real career on-ramp; the publication credit alone is one of the strongest in the field for emerging poets.
Palette Poetry Rising Poet Prize
- Organiser: Palette Poetry
- Prize: $3,000 winner; $300 second; $200 third; publication for top three
- Entry fee: $20 (50 free entries reserved for writers from historically marginalised groups)
- Deadline: 9 February – 12 April 2026
- Eligibility: Poets who haven't yet published a full-length collection; open internationally
- Submit: palettepoetry.com/the-2026-rising-poet-prize
If you're working toward your first book, this is one of the best prizes in your tier. Palette runs several themed contests through the year — the Nature Poetry Prize (April–June 2026, $3,000) is another strong option with the same format.
Frontier Poetry Debut Chapbook Prize
- Organiser: Frontier Poetry
- Prize: $2,000, publication, 50% royalties, 25 author copies
- Entry fee: $25
- Deadline: 9 March – 10 May 2026
- Eligibility: Poets who haven't published a chapbook or full-length collection; open internationally
- Submit: frontierpoetry.com/2026-debut-chapbook-prize
Frontier runs four to five contests a year. Their Hurt & Healing Prize and Myths & Fables Prize are themed single-poem contests with smaller prizes (around $300–$2,000) and similar $20–$25 entry fees. Check their calendar for current open windows.
Magma Poetry Competition (UK)
- Organiser: Magma Poetry
- Prize: Cash prize plus publication (varies year to year)
- Entry fee: £5 first poem, £4 second, £3.50 each subsequent (subscriber discounts available)
- Deadline: 31 January annually (open from 1 October)
- Eligibility: Open worldwide
- Submit: magmapoetry.com/competition
Two categories — the Judge's Prize (poems 11–50 lines) and the Editors' Prize (up to 10 lines). The short-poem category is unusual and worth a look if you write tight, compressed work. The Magma Open Poetry Pamphlet Competition (deadline 1 July 2026) is a separate route to a published pamphlet.
Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award
- Organiser: Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen
- Prize: €2,000 plus presentation at the Kavanagh Weekend
- Entry fee: Modest entry fee (check current year's guidelines)
- Deadline: Summer (announced winner: late September)
- Eligibility: Poets born on the island of Ireland, with Irish nationality, or long-term residents
- Submit: patrickkavanaghcentre.com
For a collection by a poet not previously published in collected form. If you're an Irish poet sitting on a manuscript, this is the prize that has launched several first books. Adjudicated by a different established Irish poet each year.
Poetry Society of America Awards
- Organiser: Poetry Society of America
- Prize: Multiple awards from $250 to $1,000+ across categories
- Entry fee: Varies (typically $5–$20; PSA members enter many awards free)
- Deadline: Typically October–December annually
- Eligibility: Most awards open to US writers; some international
- Submit: poetrysociety.org/awards
The PSA runs a suite of awards covering different forms (sonnet, narrative, lyric) and career stages. Worth exploring as a portfolio rather than picking one prize.
Letter Review Prize for Poetry
- Organiser: Letter Review
- Prize: Cash prize plus publication and longlisted-author recognition
- Entry fee: Modest (check current round)
- Deadline: Quarterly rounds throughout 2026
- Eligibility: Open internationally
- Submit: letterreview.com/information
Quarterly rounds make this a contest you can keep submitting to without waiting twelve months between attempts. Useful for momentum.
Poets & Writers Database
- Organiser: Poets & Writers magazine
- Prize: Varies (catalogue, not a single contest)
- Entry fee: Varies
- Deadline: Rolling
- Eligibility: Varies
- Submit: pw.org/grants
Not a contest itself but the most reliable directory I know for what's currently open. Bookmark it. The grid view by deadline month is the fastest way to plan a quarterly submission schedule.
Tips for Submitting to Poetry Contests
- Read the journal first. If a journal publishes contemplative free verse and you write slam, you're paying for a rejection. Check the previous winners.
- Send your strongest work. Contest readers see thousands of entries. Don't submit the poem you couldn't place in journals — that poem already failed in front of editors.
- Follow the formatting rules exactly. Anonymous judging means name on cover sheet only. Wrong file type, wrong line count, wrong margin — those are the easiest reasons to get binned in round one.
- Write the title last. A weak title is the first reason a reader stops reading. Spend as much time on it as you spent on the closing line.
- Track what you submit. A simple spreadsheet (poem, contest, deadline, fee, result) prevents you from sending the same poem to two contests with non-compete clauses, and it lets you see what's actually working.
- Don't tell yourself a no is a no. Most contests publish a longlist or shortlist. Even an unranked finalist mention is a credit you can use.
Poetry Contest Red Flags to Avoid
- Vanity contests. If the "prize" is publication in an anthology you have to buy, it's a sales operation, not a contest.
- No named judge, no named prior winners. You're paying to enter a vacuum.
- Eligibility asks for "all rights" to your poem. Reputable contests ask for first publication rights at most.
- High fees with tiny prize money. A $30 fee and a $100 prize means the contest is profitable for the organiser regardless of who wins.
- Mentioned on an SEO-optimised "list of contests" with no organisation behind it. If you can't find the contest on the organisation's own website, it doesn't exist.
- Asks you to share or "boost" the contest on social media to enter. Real contests judge on the work.
FAQ
How much does it cost to enter a poetry contest?
Most legitimate paid contests charge $5–$30 per entry. Many include a one-year subscription to the publishing journal in the fee, which makes them better value than the headline price suggests. Free contests like Wergle Flomp and the Ruth Lilly Fellowship exist but are competitive precisely because there's no fee filter.
Are poetry contests worth entering?
Yes, if you treat them as one part of a wider submission strategy. The publication credit, longlist mentions, and occasional cash prize compound over a writing life. They're not worth entering if you're submitting the same five poems on repeat hoping one will land — work on new poems between rounds.
Can I submit the same poem to multiple contests?
Usually, yes — most contests allow simultaneous submissions provided you withdraw the poem if it places elsewhere. Read each contest's terms. A few prestigious prizes prohibit simultaneous submissions; assume nothing.
Do I need to be published already to win a poetry contest?
No. Many contests are specifically aimed at unpublished or emerging poets — the Palette Rising Poet Prize, the Frontier Debut Chapbook Prize, and the Ploughshares Emerging Writers' Contest are all designed for writers without a book. Established poets enter the bigger general prizes (Rattle, National Poetry Competition, Bridport).
How do I know if a poetry contest is legitimate?
Check three things: who organises it (a real publisher, journal, or foundation), who judges it (named poets you can look up), and who's won it before (real poets with real publication histories). If any of those three is missing, walk away.
Looking for more on the craft? Try our guides on types of poems, what is meter in poetry, and 300+ writing prompts to keep your practice moving between contest deadlines.