40 Writing Awards, Prizes & Contests (July–August 2026)

Verified awards, prizes, and opportunities for poets and storytellers.

Happy Friday, writers!

Today’s creative FWN roundup brings you 40 writing awards, prizes, and contests.

Whatever stage you’re at, you’ll find options here for emerging writers as well as those targeting more prestigious international awards.

All opportunities have been researched and verified for their credibility. We’ve also been transparent on entry fees, prize money, and publication or development benefits.

These have all been sourced manually by the Freelance Writing Network team, and verified as best as possible, but as always I’d recommend reading guidelines and rules thoroughly before submitting your work!

Happy submitting, and be sure to send us a message if you win — we always love to hear about your successes!

See you in your inbox again soon, and have a lovely weekend.

I’m off to the beach!😎

~ George

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Did you miss anything this week?

We’ve shared more than 230 paying opportunities with writers this week, don’t forget to have a browse before the week ends. Someone else could be applying for your dream commission as you read this!

• 18 Publications Commissioning Early‑Career Writers

• ✍️ 50+ New Pitch Calls and Freelance Writing Jobs - July 9, 2026

• ✍️ 45+ New Pitch Calls and Freelance Writing Jobs - July 8, 2026

• New Live Events: What's Coming Up for Members

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40 Writing Awards, Prizes & Contests

🌍 Frontier Poetry Open 2026
The biggest annual poetry contest from Frontier Poetry, open to poets worldwide writing primarily in English. No theme or formal restrictions — submit your strongest, most frontier-voyaging poem. Unpublished poems only. Submit 1–3 poems (up to 12 pages). Entry fee: $20.
Prize: $5,000 and publication; 9 finalists each receive $100 and publication.
Deadline: July 12, 2026

🇬🇧 Doris Gooderson Short Story Competition 2026
Short fiction up to 1,200 words on any subject. Run by Wrekin Writers; all profits donated to the Severn Hospice. Multiple entries permitted. Open internationally. Entry fee: £5 per story.
Prize: £200 (1st), £100 (2nd), £50 (3rd). Winners may be published on the Wrekin Writers website and in their anthology.
Deadline: July 12, 2026

🇬🇧 Scottish Wildlife Trust Words of the Wild Writing Competition
Original short fiction, poetry, or nonfiction up to 1,000 words on the theme of “Changing Seasons.” Open to adults and children. Free to enter.
Prize: Various prize bundles (including vouchers, books and experiences).
Deadline: July 12, 2026

🌍 2026 Rattle Poetry Prize
Annual international poetry prize from Rattle magazine. Submit up to 4 unpublished poems of any length, style, or subject. Open to writers worldwide writing primarily in English. Judged anonymously by the editors. Entry fee: $30 (includes a 1-year Rattle subscription; international entrants receive a 3/4-year subscription — three issues — instead of the full year).
Prize: $15,000 (1st) and publication; 10 finalists receive $500 each; 1 Readers’ Choice Award of $5,000.
Deadline: July 15, 2026

🌍 2026 Adrift Short Story Contest — Driftwood Press
Short fiction of 1,000–6,000 words, judged by Beth Nguyen. All submissions considered for publication. Entry fee: $30.
Prize: $500 and publication in the 2028 Driftwood Anthology; runner-up receives $200.
Deadline: July 15, 2026

🌍 Adrift Chapbook Poetry Contest — Driftwood Press
Original poetry manuscripts of 15–40 pages. Prose poetry, experimental poetry, and poetry with a visual component all welcome. No AI-generated work. Judged by Diamond Forde. Entry fee: $25 (includes a free Driftwood Press chapbook).
Prize: $750 and 20 copies of the published chapbook, with national/international distribution. Runner-up may also receive publication and $350.
Deadline: July 15, 2026