The James Laughlin Award 2025 | $5,000 Cash Prize and Residency

The James Laughlin Award is given to recognize and support a second book of poetry forthcoming in the next calendar year. The award was endowed 1995

James Laughlin Award 2025

The James Laughlin Award is given to recognize and support a second book of poetry forthcoming in the next calendar year. The award was endowed in 1995 by a gift to the Academy from the Drue Heinz Trust. It is named for the poet and publisher James Laughlin (1914-1997), who founded New Directions in 1936.

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.

Deadline for Submission 

Submissions are accepted from January 1, 2025 to May 15, 2025 (11:59 p.m. ET). The judges for the 2025 James Laughlin Award are Tyree Daye, Richie Hofmann, and Donika Kelly.

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Other Ongoing Writing Competitions

• The Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest 2025 | $150 Cash Prize
• St. Gallen Symposium Global Essay Competition 2025 | CHF 20,000
• 2025 Centre for African American Poetry and Poetics (CAAPP) Book Prize | $3,000 Cash Prize 
• Deep Wild Journal's Waking to the Wild 2025 Student Contest
• The James Laughlin Award 2025 | $5,000 Cash Prize and Residency 
• The 2025 Zócalo Poetry Prize Honors Poems of Place | $1,000 Cash Prize 
• Frontier Poetry's 2025 Hurt & Healing Prize | $3500 Cash Prizes 
• Pennacle's Pen on Fire Writing Competition and Workshop 2025

Submission Guidelines and Eligibility Requirements for the James Laughlin Award 2025

1. The James Laughlin Award is given to honor a second full-length print book of original poetry, in English, by a living poet, forthcoming in the next calendar year.
2. Any poet who meets one of the below criteria on the date of the application deadline, in any given year, is eligible to apply:
3. U.S. Citizen; or,
4. resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline, or;
5. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Legal Permanent Status (LPS), or any subsequent categories designated by the U.S. authorities as conferring similar enhanced status upon non-citizens living in the United States.
6. Please note: By law the Academy of American Poets must report cash prizes awarded to individuals to the Internal Revenue Service. If individuals have a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), the individual will receive a 1099. If the individual does not have an SSN or ITIN, the individual will receive a 1042 and could be subject to a withholding of a percentage of the cash prize.
7. To be eligible for the award in 2025, a book must be under contract with a U.S. publisher and scheduled to be published between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026. Winning books must be published by December 31, 2026.
8. To be eligible, an author must have published one book of poetry in a standard edition (48 pages or more). The publication of chapbooks (less than 48 pages) does not disqualify an author.
9. Entries must be at least 48 pages total (suggested length: 48 to 100 pages).
10. Entries must be submitted in manuscript form (or page proofs) so the jury can review them without considering the books’ design. Galleys will not be accepted.
11. To submit an entry, publishers must upload a PDF copy of the manuscript to Submittable. A completed entry form via Submittable signifying the publisher’s acceptance of these guidelines is required for each title submitted.
12. There is no fee to enter.
13. The author’s name should not be included in running heads or appear on any page. Acknowledgements may be included.
14. Submissions are welcome from small presses, university presses, and trade publishers that have previously published at least four books of poetry.
15. Translations and new editions of previously published books are not eligible.
16. The Academy of American Poets agrees to purchase approximately one thousand copies of the winning book for distribution to its members. The Academy of American Poets may purchase additional copies of the book for its own use, but not for resale. No royalties will be paid to the author on the copies purchased by the Academy of American Poets. The publisher agrees to sell to the Academy of American Poets the number of copies requested at a standard paper, printing, and binding, or at-cost discount.
17. The publisher agrees to announce and publish the winning book as the Academy of American Poets James Laughlin Award Winner. The publisher also agrees to include a seal on all of the books, identifying the winning book as such. The Academy of American Poets will provide the publisher with the seal design as an electronic file. Any subsequent reprintings of the book must comply with the aforementioned stipulations.
18. The publisher and poet agree to provide the Academy of American Poets permission to republish three (3) poems from the winning collection on Poets.org at no cost.
19. The decisions of the Academy of American Poets regarding eligibility are final.
20. All correspondence concerning the contest should be addressed to the Academy of American Poets and sent to awards@poets.org.
21. Please note: It’s the mission of the Academy of American Poets to support American poets at all stages of their careers and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry. In furtherance of our mission, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality and integrity in our publications and programs, and expect and require the same from the poets with whom we collaborate.
22. All applicants and selected award recipients agree that, as part of their eligibility to receive the James Laughlin Award, they will maintain the highest standards of fairness, decency and personal integrity, in the Academy’s sole discretion, including with adherence to all applicable laws and community values. The decisions of the Academy of American Poets regarding eligibility, both initial and throughout the award period, are final.

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