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Best Poetry Contests for 2026

Updated September 2026 · Top 10 · Ranked automatically from live listings

This list ranks the best poetry contests currently open to entries — single-poem prizes, chapbook competitions, and full collection awards — ordered by prize size with free-to-enter contests ranked ahead of fee-based ones. Deadlines and entry fees are shown on every entry, and closed contests drop off automatically.

  1. 1
    Fiction Collective 2

    2027 FC2 Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize

    Fiction Collective 2 is accepting submissions for the Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize, open to mid-career and established U.S.

    $15,000 and publication by FC2 (University of Alabama Press)Deadline: Nov 1, 2026Entry fee: $25.00
  2. 2
    Winning Writers

    Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

    Winning Writers is offering the Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest with separate categories for contemporary and traditional/rhyming poetry, accepting published and unpublished work from poets at any career stage

    $3,500 first prize per category ($12,000 total)Deadline: Oct 1, 2026Entry fee: $25
  3. 3
    Changes

    Changes – The Changes Book Prize

    Changes is accepting submissions for The Changes Book Prize recognizing outstanding poetry collections

    10,000Deadline: Oct 1, 2026Free to enter
  4. 4
    Otago University Press

    Kathleen Grattan Poetry Award

    Otago University Press is offering the Kathleen Grattan Poetry Award, a biennial prize for book-length poetry collections by New Zealand or South Pacific citizens or permanent residents, with a year's subscription to Landfall Tauraka included for the winning…

    NZ$10,000Deadline: Jul 31, 2027Free to enter
  5. 5
    TRP: The University Press of SHSU

    The X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize

    TRP: The University Press of SHSU is offering The X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize, which provides a book contract with advance, a residency fellowship at Vermont Studio Center, and 10 copies of the published book for poets at any career stage submitting…

    $10,000 advance + Vermont Studio Center residency fellowshipDeadline: Sep 30, 2026Entry fee: $28.00
  6. 6
    Texas Review Press

    X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize

    Texas Review Press is offering publication of a full-length poetry collection and a residency at Vermont Studio Center for poets, with recent judges including Diane Seuss, Richard Blanco, Kimiko Hahn, Kazim Ali, and Maggie Smith

    $10,000 advance + publication + three-week residency fellowship at Vermont Studio Center + 10 copiesDeadline: Sep 30, 2026Entry fee: $28
  7. 7
    Australian Book Review

    Australian Book Review – Peter Porter Poetry Prize

    Australian Book Review is accepting submissions for the Peter Porter Poetry Prize, recognizing excellence in new poetry written in English with cash awards for the winner and shortlisted poets

    AU $6,000 (winner); AU $1,000 (shortlisted)Deadline: Oct 14, 2026Entry fee: AU$30 (AU$20 for ABR subscribers)
  8. 8
    CBC Literary Prizes

    2027 CBC Short Story Prize

    CBC Literary Prizes is accepting submissions for the 2027 CBC Short Story Prize, offering the winner a two-week residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity's Leighton Artist Studios and publication on CBC Books, with four finalists also receiving…

    $1,000–$6,000Deadline: Nov 1, 2026Entry fee: $25.00
  9. 9
    Mslexia

    Mslexia – Fiction Competitions

    Mslexia is accepting submissions for their Fiction Competitions across flash fiction, short story, and novel categories (with separate competitions for adult, children's, and young adult fiction) recognizing excellence in women's writing

    £5,000Deadline: Sep 21, 2026Entry fee: £28 (Novel)
  10. 10
    University of Arkansas Press

    University of Arkansas Press – Miller Williams Poetry Prize

    University of Arkansas Press is accepting poetry submissions for the Miller Williams Poetry Prize

    $5,000 + publicationDeadline: Sep 30, 2026Free to enter
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How this list works

This ranking is recomputed automatically from CozyJobs' live opportunity data — no editorial picks. Larger awards rank first, free-to-enter programs rank ahead of fee-based ones at the same award level, and the soonest deadlines break ties. Opportunities past their deadline drop off automatically.

Frequently asked questions

How much can you win in poetry contests?+

Single-poem prizes typically run $500–$5,000; chapbook and first-book prizes $1,000–$10,000 plus publication. The most prestigious awards matter beyond the money — a major prize or shortlist opens doors with journals, presses, and fellowships.

Should I enter poetry contests with entry fees?+

A $15–$25 fee is standard for prizes run by journals and presses (it funds the award, and often includes a subscription or copy of the winning book). Weigh fee against prize and prestige; free contests rank first on this list at the same award level.

How is this list ranked and how often does it update?+

Rankings are recomputed automatically from live data: larger awards first, then free-to-enter programs, then the soonest upcoming deadlines. Closed or past-deadline opportunities drop off automatically, so every entry is open at the time you're reading.

Does CozyJobs list opportunities with entry fees?+

Yes, contests and residencies with modest entry fees are included when the award justifies it, and each listing shows the fee up front. Free-to-enter opportunities are ranked ahead of fee-based ones at the same award level.

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