Since 1934, the Academy of American Poets has provided visibility and financial support to poets demonstrating artistic excellence. Guidelines and entry forms are provided, where applicable. All poets who receive an Academy of American Poets Prize are strongly promoted, including features in American Poets magazine, on social media, and, of course, on Poets.org. For general questions about writing contests, read our Writing Contests FAQ. View a list of past awards and grants here.
American Poets Prizes
Prizes
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Academy of American Poets Fellowship | The Academy of American Poets Fellowship is a $25,000 prize awarded to one poet each year to recognize distinguished poetic achievement. Established in 1936 and given in memory of James Ingram Merrill, with generous support from the T. S. Eliot Foundation. |
| Academy of American Poets First Book Award | The Academy of American Poets First Book Award is a $5,000 first-book publication prize. The winner receives publication by Graywolf Press, an all-expenses-paid six-week residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in the Umbrian region of Italy, and distribution of the winning book to thousands of Academy of American Poets members. |
| Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowships | The Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowships are $50,000 awards given to honor poets of literary merit appointed to serve in civic positions and to support them in creating new work, as well as to enable them to undertake meaningful, impactful, and innovative projects that enrich the lives of their neighbors, including youth, through responsive and interactive poetry activities. |
| Aliki Perroti and Seth Frank Most Promising Young Poet Award | Established in 2013, the Aliki Perroti and Seth Frank Most Promising Young Poet Award recognizes a student poet twenty-three years old or younger, with an annual cash prize of $1,000. |
| Ambroggio Prize | The Ambroggio Prize is a $1,000 publication prize given for a book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation. The winning manuscript is published by University of Arizona Press. |
| Harold Morton Landon Translation Award | Established in 1976, this $1,000 award recognizes the work of a translator for a poetry collection translated from any language into English and published in the previous calendar year. |
| James Laughlin Award | Offered since 1954, the James Laughlin Award is given to recognize and support a second book of poetry forthcoming in the next calendar year. The winning poet receives a prize of $5,000, an all-expenses-paid weeklong residency at The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, and distribution of the winning book to approximately one thousand Academy of American Poets members. |
| Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize | Established in 1975, this $25,000 award recognizes the most outstanding book of poetry published in the United States in the previous calendar year. The prize includes a ten-day residency at Glen Hollow in Naples, New York. |
| Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Awards | The Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Awards recognize outstanding translations into English of modern Italian poetry through a $10,000 book prize and a $25,000 fellowship, given in alternating years. |
| Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize | The Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize is given to honor exceptional poems that help readers recognize the vulnerable state of our environment. Established in 2019 with generous support from Treehouse Investments, the prize will honor three poets. |
| University & College Poetry Prizes | Established in 1955, the University and College Poetry Prize program began with ten schools. Today, the Academy of American Poets sponsors over two hundred annual prizes for poetry at U.S. colleges and universities, and has awarded cash prizes to nearly ten thousand student poets since the program’s inception. |
| Wallace Stevens Award | The Wallace Stevens Award is given annually to recognize outstanding and proven mastery in the art of poetry. Established in 1994, the award carries a $100,000 stipend. Recipients are chosen by the Academy of American Poets Board of Chancellors. |