Culture - poetry

The 2025 Forward Prizes for Poetry have now launched.

The Forward Prizes for Poetry, widely regarded as the most prestigious awards in the UK and Ireland’s poetry calendar, have officially opened for submissions for their 2025 edition. Since their inception in 1992, the prizes have celebrated the finest voices in poetry, from emerging talents to literary giants, with a roll call of past winners that includes Simon Armitage, Seamus Heaney, Carol Ann Duffy, and Claudia Rankine.

This year, the awards continue to honour exceptional poetic achievements across four categories:

  • Best Collection (£10,000)
  • Best First Collection (£5,000)
  • Best Single Poem – Written (£1,000)
  • Best Single Poem – Performed (£1,000).

Notably, the Best Single Poem – Performed category has broadened its scope, now inviting submissions directly from poets themselves as well as from producers of live poetry events, a move that underscores the growing recognition of performance poetry’s vital role in contemporary literature.

The Forward Prizes is a vital platform for celebrating the diversity and innovation shaping the poetry of today. Full entry guidelines are available, and inquiries can be directed to prizes@forwardartsfoundation.org. Poets and producers alike are encouraged to seize this opportunity to shine on one of poetry’s grandest stages.

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